The Legislative Yuan confirmed yesterday two Fair Trade Commission (FTC) nominees, but rejected two others, including the body’s incumbent chairperson.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government nominated FTC Chairperson Lee May (李鎂), Vice Chairman Chen Chih-min (陳志民) and Commissioner Hong Tsai-lung (洪財隆) on Oct. 30 last year to continue in their positions after their terms ends on Jan. 31.
Lin Ching-tang (林慶堂), the incumbent head of the FTC’s Department of Service Industry Competition, was also nominated as a new commissioner the same day.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Lawmakers from the DPP, the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and two independents voted unanimously yesterday to confirm Chen and Lin to serve four-year terms as commissioners from Feb. 1 to Jan. 31, 2029.
However, Lee and Hong were rejected by lawmakers from the two opposition parties, who together form a majority in the legislative body.
Before the vote, TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said his party would reject Hong, because of his actions related to the commission’s consideration of PX Mart Ltd’s (全聯實業) acquisition of RT-Mart International Ltd (大潤發).
Huang said Hong demanded that PX Mart donate NT$300 million (US$9.11 million) to sports and chess events as a precondition for approving the acquisition bid during the review meeting, which Huang said should have focused on consumers’ rights.
The party also rejected Lee, because she stood by and watched Hong make the demands without stopping him, Huang said.
As a result, Lee got 52 votes from DPP lawmakers and Chen Chao-ming (陳超明), an independent who is usually aligned with the KMT, while the remaining lawmakers cast opposing votes.
Similarly, Hong was rejected with 51 votes in support from DPP members, and 62 opposing votes from the KMT (52), the TPP (8) and two independent lawmakers.
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