Physical fights yesterday morning erupted at the Legislative Yuan among lawmakers who support and oppose proposed amendments to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), which are aimed at tightening the requirements for recalling an elected official.
Before the meeting at the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee to review the amendments started, lawmakers mobilized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which opposes the amendments proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), occupied the podium of the chairperson of the meeting in a bid to stall the review process.
The occupation of the podium by DPP lawmakers upset KMT legislators and escalated into physical violence.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) said KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) slapped her in the face, causing her chin to bleed.
Lin said Wang slapped her face several times, knocking off her earrings. She said she would go to a hospital to have her injuries examined, which would provide her with the evidence to sue Wang.
Wang said Lin grabbed and hit her, and kicked her furiously.
She said DPP Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) also kicked her, adding that Huang’s move was a “villainous act.”
“Shame on the DPP,” Wang said. “The DPP was the instigator, but the first to complain.”
KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) said his caucus has obtained surveillance footage which showed that Huang damaged the meeting room door at 4am and DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) did the same to enter the meeting room at about 5am to occupy the podium.
Hung said the DPP are troublemakers, not only vandalizing a public facility, but also blocking a review meeting, adding that the KMT would publicize the surveillance footage.
Huang accused the KMT caucus of attempting to block lawmakers and other legislature personnel from entering the meeting room yesterday morning, adding that the KMT caucus tried to change the meeting venue for yesterday’s law review.
The KMT has proposed amendments raising the threshold for recalling an elected official in the election and recall act, saying the current threshold is too low and makes it too easy to recall elected officials.
For a recall vote to succeed, the number of votes cast in favor must exceed those cast against it and be equal at least one-quarter of all eligible voters in the district.
The KMT’s proposed revision stipulates that the number of votes cast to support the recall should exceed the number of votes the elected official had acquired when elected. It would also require that votes in favor of recalling an official exceed those cast against it and be equal to at least 25 percent of all eligible voters.
Among other amendments to the election and recall act, an article initiated by both DPP and KMT lawmakers would allow absentee voting for indigenous voters, which aims to increase the willingness of people in remote areas to cast their ballots.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the revisions proposed by the KMT would infringe on the public’s right to recall an elected official, adding that the amendments are a “caged” election and recall act.
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said he opposed the higher recall requirements, but favored tightening the rules to collect signatures to allow a recall vote to proceed.
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