The legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee is slated to review more than a dozen bills proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) today that it says would reform the legislature. However, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that the proposals are unconstitutional and would push Taiwan back into an authoritarian regime.
Out of the more than 20 bills related to legislative reform, 17 were proposed by the KMT.
KMT legislators Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) and Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) proposed amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) and the Criminal Code that would make contempt of the legislature a crime.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
This would hold government officials accountable for refusing to answer questions, not giving a definite answer and questioning the lawmakers, they said. Officials who are held in contempt of the legislature would be sentenced to up to three years in prison and fined NT$300,000.
Wu, Weng and KMT Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) also proposed an amendment that would require the president to submit a “State of the Nation” report by Feb. 1 and give a similar address to legislators before March 1. When lawmakers raise questions, the president should also instantly answer them, the draft states.
Other proposed amendments include giving the legislature the right to conduct investigations, hold hearings and approve appointments of officials. The secret ballot system for the elections of legislative speaker and deputy legislative speaker would be removed as well.
The DPP caucus opposed the proposed amendments, saying that they are unconstitutional and would greatly expand legislative authority.
The proposed amendments would return Taiwan to the era of an authoritarian regime, it said, adding that it would definitely seek interpretations from the Constitutional Court and request an emergency injunction on the bills.
Based on the proposed amendments, legislators would have the right to investigate public legal entities, private legal entities, the military, agencies and groups.
Failure to accept investigation is contempt of the legislature, DPP caucus secretary-general Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said yesterday.
KMT caucus is asking to hold hearings of the appointments of government officials, which infringes on the president’s and premier’s right to nominate them, said DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), who is a convener of the committee.
“The KMT and Taiwan People’s Party support that the legislature should have the right to conduct investigations and hold government officials in contempt. This would make legislative authorities transcend those of judicial and control branches,” Chung said.
“Asking the president to deliver a State of the Nation address followed by a question-and-answer session is against the division of authorities stated in the Constitution,” he added.
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