The appointments of four Central Election Commission (CEC) nominees hinge on the Legislative Yuan to demonstrate sincerity, the Cabinet said yesterday after the opposition-dominated legislature vetoed its three nominees.
The legislature on March 13 approved the Cabinet’s nomination of Michael You (游盈隆) as CEC chairman and three nominees recommended by opposition parties as commissioners.
However, the Cabinet is yet to initiate the handover and inauguration process after the legislature sent a letter of personnel approval to the Cabinet on March 17.
Photo: Taipei Times
Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) yesterday said Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) in September last year reached out to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to facilitate cooperation between the executive and legislative branches.
After Han committed to help, the Executive Yuan, following Han’s advice and at the KMT’s request, issued a formal letter asking the three party caucuses in the Legislative Yuan to recommend CEC nominees, Lee said.
However, the legislature rejected the three other nominees recommended by the Cabinet, she said.
The CEC cannot convene meetings without at least five members in place.
Sources said the Cabinet would recommend a new nominee list and would not initiate the handover process until the list is approved by the legislature.
Saying that executive power should be balanced by legislative power, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said Cho has been passively boycotting bills passed by the legislature by refusing to countersign, execute or plan relevant budgets since he assumed the post.
Such passivity has escalated into a disruption of the constitutional order as the Cabinet refused to appoint the commissioners, she said, adding that it is resistance against the legislative authority rather than administrative inaction.
Acting in accordance with the law would become an empty slogan when the Cabinet is allowed to selectively execute the law, allocate budgets or issue personnel appointments, she said.
The hidden and continued expansion of executive power is paving the way for executive dictatorship and constitutes a severe threat to Taiwan’s democracy, she added.
TPP caucus whip Jacky Chen (陳清龍) said the legislature should ensure the impartiality and professionalism of the commissioners, especially as the CEC is an independent body and must not be used for political bargaining or patronage.
The Executive Yuan has repeatedly called for prompt approval from the legislature of the commission nominees in case election affairs are delayed, but it refused to issue the appointments after the legislature has done its part, he said, adding: “To what extent is Cho Jung-tai going to paralyze the country?”
Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin
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