Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators yesterday set up a task force to investigate the National Communications Commission (NCC) and affiliated organizations under the Legislative Yuan’s new powers of inquiry.
The probe, the first using the controversial powers, would investigate allegations that the government influenced the NCC to approve Mirror Media’s application to establish Mirror TV.
A motion, jointly proposed by the legislature’s Transportation Committee and the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, called for establishing a task force that would begin an investigation if at least one-third of its members are present, adding that all resolutions must receive supporting votes from half of all attending members.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Issues cannot be voted on if there are only three attending members at a meeting, which can be conducted behind closed doors, the motion says.
The task force was authorized to start its investigation yesterday and continue until Dec. 31, a deadline that can be extended if task force members consent, the motion says.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said the legislature should have been notified if a joint meeting of caucuses was to be held and that the legislature already has a task force to address the Mirror TV issue.
Having two committees investigate the same issue contravenes the law, it said.
Established in March, the Transportation Committee’s investigative task force said its mandate has ended, effective immediately, adding that it would turn over all its findings.
The committee’s task force said that the NCC was uncooperative throughout the investigation and had used technicalities to delay the process.
Mirror TV yesterday said that despite the passage of the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), its legality is in question as it awaits a Constitutional Court review.
The government’s establishing three separate committees to investigate one media company was unprecedented and harms journalistic liberties, the channel said, referring to the committee formed in March, a task force that TPP Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said he would establish and the current special cross-committee task force.
The company said that that it has provided statements and proof that its establishment was in full accordance with the law, adding that the legislators’ actions were regrettable.
Mirror TV has undergone the longest review in Taiwan’s history and was also the first to be targeted with 42 unequal addendums to its applications, it said.
Despite these challenges the company’s intent on providing media oversight has not changed, it added.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS