The legislature today passed a motion to confirm the proceedings of a plenary session held on Mar. 25 which sent two Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) referendum proposals to a second reading, after a contentious session marked by protests.
The bill passed last month contains two KMT proposals to hold a referendum on “opposing the imposition of martial law” and “opposing the abolition of the death penalty.”
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus had been occupying the podium for days to stage a protest against the bill which it said was pushed through with illegitimate means.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Today’s motion to confirm the proceedings of the plenary session on Mar. 25 was passed by a vote of 60 to 50.
As Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) announced that the proceedings were confirmed, DPP legislators chanted “the illegitimate meeting is invalid!”
After the plenary session began today, the DPP caucus proposed a bill to send 62 legislators from the opposition parties, including Han, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), to the Discipline Committee for distorting legislative procedures, breaking the law and not following the rules.
The bill was not passed as the opposition holds a majority.
The DPP caucus then argued that the proceedings of the plenary session held on Mar. 25 should not be confirmed as the meeting, dubbed a “nighttime raid,” which was not extended according to the legislative procedure, was illegitimate and the minutes had errors.
The DPP legislators gathered in the chamber, holding placards showing a big cross on the minutes, chanting “oppose illegitimate vote” and “mass recall, big success.”
Han said the plenary session on Mar. 25 was extended until all legislators finished asking their questions as scheduled according to Rule 22 of the legislature’s Rules of Procedure at the request of the KMT caucus and the TPP caucus.
The meeting did not have the errors that the DPP suggested it has, Han said.
“Shame on you, democracy killer Han Kuo-yu!” the DPP legislators shouted as they pounded on tables to protest during the vote which passed as the opposition holds a majority.
If the opposition goes ahead with this, they can then pass bills anytime and anywhere they want in the future, DPP Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS