2024-05-23 12:23:55
Could 23, 2024
Picture caption,On Could 21, members of the Democratic Progressive Celebration protested at Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, and members of the Kuomintang gathered round Han Kuo-yu (middle), President of the Legislative Yuan.
Within the battle between Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan and the “Congress Reform Invoice”, following fierce clashes final week, greater than 10,000 folks gathered exterior the venue to protest on the day the session resumed on Tuesday (Could 21). It’s anticipated that when the invoice continues to be heard on Friday (Could 24), Demonstrations will proceed.
Probably the most controversial side of the invoice is “contempt of Congress”. The legislative course of has additionally been questioned as violating procedural justice, and the opposition camp has used its numerical superiority to “overwhelm the minority.”
It is a dispute that arose following Taiwan’s basic election originally of the 12 months, when the legislative Yuan’s “three events had been lower than half” and the “home authorities was small and the opposition was giant”. It was additionally the primary problem confronted by the newly inaugurated President Lai Ching-te. The surface world is listening to the long run political tendencies in Taiwan and whether or not the demonstrations will proceed to broaden and evolve into “Sunflower Motion 2.0”.
Some students analyzed the BBC Chinese language language and identified that in contrast with the invoice itself, the controversial level this time is the procedural legitimacy of the evaluation course of. The offensive and defensive battle between the federal government and the opposition can be a continuation of post-election feelings, reflecting the rift between the opposition “blue and white” camp and the ruling “inexperienced camp” If either side don’t give in, the dispute will in all probability proceed within the subsequent 4 years, and Beijing is completely happy to see chaos in Taiwan.
What’s the Parliamentary Reform Act?
In Taiwan’s basic election in January this 12 months, 113 legislators had been elected. The “blue camp” Kuomintang, the “inexperienced camp” Democratic Progressive Celebration, and the “white camp” Individuals’s Celebration gained 52, 51, and eight seats respectively, making up the “three events that make up lower than half” of the parliament. If the opposition “Blue and White” camp cooperates, it might overwhelm the variety of folks within the ruling Inexperienced camp.
picture supply,Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP
This controversy stems from the truth that “Blue and White” collectively proposed amendments to Article 25 of the “Regulation on the Train of Powers of the Legislative Yuan”, which incorporates 5 main instructions: normalizing the President’s nationwide state of affairs report, the Legislative Yuan’s investigation and listening to rights, strengthening the correct to consent in personnel, and registered voting for the president and deputy presidents. system, in addition to the crime of “contempt of Congress” that’s thought of probably the most controversial.
In accordance with the content material of the “crime of contempt of Congress”, the particular person being questioned shall not “refuse to reply, refuse to supply info, conceal info, or give false solutions besides to keep away from apparent and speedy hurt to nationwide protection or diplomacy or issues that ought to be stored secret in response to legislation and with the consent of the chairman” ” and different acts of contempt of Congress, violators might also be fined NT$20,000 to NT$200,000 upon decision by the Senate. If corrections usually are not made inside the time restrict, consecutive fines might also be issued. Authorities officers who make false statements when questioned within the Legislative Yuan can be prosecuted for legal legal responsibility in accordance with the legislation. As well as, the particular person being questioned will not be allowed to “counter-question”, however there isn’t a clear definition of what a “counter-question” is.
The opposition Kuomintang and Individuals’s Celebration imagine that the Congressional Reform Invoice is to strengthen the supervisory capability of the legislative physique. One of many key factors is that authorities officers usually are not allowed to lie or intentionally conceal throughout congressional hearings. They emphasize that European and American democracies have dedicated the crime of contempt of Congress. The provisions Primarily focused at authorities personnel, odd folks won’t be topic to legal penalties, and have to be sentenced by a courtroom to depend.
Picture caption,The DPP describes the legislative course of as “Hong Kongizing” Taiwan’s parliament
The Democratic Progressive Celebration mentioned that the definition of contempt of Congress is just too free and should trigger a chilling impact. It additionally questioned that extreme enlargement of the facility of the Legislative Yuan would violate the precept of separation of powers and might also be unconstitutional. As well as, some enterprise circles are anxious that the provisions will affect the enterprise atmosphere. If personal corporations are required to go to the Legislative Yuan for questioning, they might have at hand over info reminiscent of funding plans and enterprise secrets and techniques, in any other case they are going to be charged with contempt of Congress.
The arguments of some opposition voices additionally embrace considerations in regards to the “China issue”. Fu Kunqi, the overall convener of the KMT Legislative Yuan caucus that promoted the invoice, led greater than a dozen get together legislators to go to Beijing in April and met with senior officers from the Taiwan Affairs Workplace of the Mainland and the Nationwide Committee of the Chinese language Individuals’s Political Consultative Convention. Chairman Wang Huning, critics fear that Beijing might want the blue camp to “broaden” Congress’ powers to cut back the effectivity of the DPP administration.
Why did the legislative course of set off conflicts between the federal government and the opposition?
Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan Session (known as the Yuan Session) is held each Tuesday and Friday. In accordance with the legislative course of, following a invoice is proposed, it will likely be confirmed by the process committee and despatched to the chamber for first studying. Then it must undergo three levels: committee evaluation, get together group negotiation, and chamber vote.
picture supply,Yesam/AFP
Picture caption,Fierce clashes broke out final week within the Taiwan Legislative Yuan’s assault and protection battle over the “Congress Reform Invoice.”
Zhuang Jiaying, affiliate professor of political science on the Nationwide College of Singapore, identified to BBC Chinese language that the important thing to this dispute will not be primarily the problem of parliamentary reform, however the problem of black field operations, lack of dialogue, and lack of procedural legitimacy. As well as, whether or not the vast majority of the parliament is utilizing the title of parliamentary reform Abuse of energy.
“In a democratic system, there’s a pure rigidity between the manager and the legislative to test one another. The query is whether or not the opposition events are ready and prepared to play the function of loyal opposition, or whether or not they may use their energy to manage the conventional operation of the federal government.”
Trying once more on the legislative course of, the brand new Legislative Yuan opened on February 20 following the election. In March, the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Celebration successively proposed congressional reform payments and submitted them to the Judicial and Authorized Affairs Fee for evaluation. On this committee, there are 6 members from the Democratic Progressive Celebration, 6 members from the Kuomintang and the Individuals’s Celebration, and the chairman is Wu Zongxian, the convener of the Kuomintang.
The DPP’s model was not included following three public hearings and committee evaluation one following the other. The KMT’s model was reviewed by the committee on April 15. The chairman introduced “reservation” when he heard “objections”, whereas the DPP committee members A complete of 40 motions had been made to adjourn the assembly following every “reservation”. With a numerical benefit of seven to six, the “Blue and White” caucus “reserved” all of the articles on which there was no consensus and despatched them out of the committee to the caucus for negotiation.
After a one-month “freezing interval” for the invoice, Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu convened a session between the federal government and the opposition on Could 16. Throughout the six-hour assembly, the blue and inexperienced events broke up unhappily, and the congressional reform invoice was submitted with out touching the provisions of the invoice. Court docket assembly.
picture supply,Ye Sen/AFP
Picture caption,On Could 17, Kuo Guowen (centre), a legislator of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Celebration, tried to flip on the desk throughout a vote on the Congressional Reform Invoice within the Legislative Yuan.
On Could 17, the Blue and White events proposed a “consolidated model” of parliamentary reform and amendments within the type of an modification movement, which was to be voted on on the second studying of the chamber. The Democratic Progressive Celebration occupied the podium as a way to forestall the assembly from continuing, and a number of rounds of violent bodily violence broke out between the federal government and the opposition. Six legislators had been injured and despatched to hospital in the course of the battle, together with Democratic Progressive Celebration legislators Shen Boyang, Qiu Zhiwei, Zhuang Ruixiong, Zhong Jiabin, and Guo Guowen, and Kuomintang legislator Wu Zongxian.
The Democratic Progressive Celebration group questioned that the Blue and White model was not seen in the course of the vote. It was a “voting with out dialogue” and a “black field operation” that violated procedural justice. It described it as “the Nationwide Individuals’s Congress and Hong Kongization of the Nationwide Meeting.” Individuals’s Celebration Huang Guochang retorted that each legislator within the chamber had modification motions and re-amendment motions on his desk, and even the opposition get together solely noticed the 80 voting variations proposed by the Democratic Progressive Celebration whereas sitting within the chamber.
How do the three events categorical their stance?
Lai Qingde, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Celebration, mentioned he known as on the opposition events to “respect minorities” and punctiliously take into account the affect of related payments on the present constitutional system. He mentioned that adhering to the essence of procedural justice and rational dialogue are the ideas of the parliament in a democratic nation ruled by the rule of legislation, and are additionally the important thing for all events to achieve consensus. The dearth of procedural and substantive discussions will make it tough for the legislation to construct consensus amongst all events, vulnerable to omissions, and should even have an effect on The workings of present constitutionalism and separation of powers.
Picture caption,President Lai Ching-te took workplace on Could 20. The Democratic Progressive Celebration led by him was unable to acquire greater than half of the seats in Congress.
Kuomintang Chairman Zhu Lilun mentioned that congressional reform has been a typical proposition of the ruling and opposition events for many years, and was additionally proposed by former President Tsai Ing-wen when she was chairman of the Democratic Progressive Celebration. He known as on the Democratic Progressive Celebration to “cease making an attempt to make use of the minority to crush the bulk and substitute it with fists.” Counting folks and suppressing Congress on the streets,” he mentioned that that period has handed, and it will not be a blessing for Taiwan if a democratic civil warfare resulted. He additionally criticized that the DPP mustn’t deal with opposition events in a “red-painting” method and will put nationwide pursuits above the pursuits of the get together.
Individuals’s Celebration Chairman Ko Wenzhe mentioned that the contents of the Congressional Reform Invoice are all of the concepts of the Democratic Progressive Celebration prior to now. He known as on the ruling get together to not abandon its previous beliefs with an conceited perspective, and even use violence to hinder it. He additionally mentioned that because the saying goes, “Do not make hassle if you end up in cost.” Questioning why the ruling get together is taking the lead within the struggle. In response to why the get together cooperated with the Kuomintang, he mentioned that because the election, nobody from President Lai Ching-te’s camp has communicated with the Individuals’s Celebration. “The DPP has listed us as a celebration that refuses to work together with us.”
Audio plus textual content,After the 2024 Taiwan election, “three pillars” emerge. How do odd folks view the long run political state of affairs?
Professor Zhang Junhao from the Division of Political Science at Tunghai College in Taiwan described to BBC Chinese language that this incident was a continuation of the sentiment following the election, reflecting “the hatred of Blue and White in the direction of the Inexperienced camp, and the hatred of the folks on the streets in the direction of Blue and White.” Nevertheless, he identified that polls present that Taiwanese folks’s satisfaction with Blue and White continues to say no. Mainstream public opinion nonetheless doesn’t need to see the chaos of quarrels and fights in Congress. The Blue and White political events might want to make extra evaluations.
He talked regarding that earlier than the brand new President Lai Ching-te took workplace on Could 20, the Legislative Yuan was concentrating on the caretaker authorities. After Could 20, it was dealing with a brand new administrative company. It was a very completely different state of affairs. The longer term would rely on the “key minority” of the folks. Ought to the get together proceed to comply with the KMT, or ought to it change to cooperating with the DPP? “After the brand new authorities involves energy, there can be lots of room for the allocation of administrative assets, and Lai Qingde has lots of room for maneuver. For instance, if the Democratic Progressive Celebration proposes a youth coverage, does the Individuals’s Celebration need to cooperate?”
picture supply,Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP
Picture caption,The day earlier than Lai Ching-te’s inauguration, the Individuals’s Celebration held the “519 Grassroots Willpower Motion” in entrance of the Central Celebration Headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Celebration. Chairman Ke Wenzhe led his supporters to shout the slogan “Promote reform and let the folks resolve.”
As for a way the incident will have an effect on the newly-appointed Lai Ching-tak authorities? Scholar Zhuang Jiaying mentioned that this protest is principally aimed on the abuse of energy by the Congress and doesn’t have a direct battle with Lai Qingde’s authorities. So long as Lai can keep order and correctly use public opinion, it might be attainable to cease the Kuomintang and Individuals’s Celebration on the one hand, and to extend the variety of people however. Help.
“However the premise is that he have to be restrained, reply appropriately to public opinion, and never exceed the suitable vary – if it seems that he’s utilizing public opinion to intentionally retaliate towards the Kuomintang and Individuals’s Celebration and weaken the facility of Congress, it will likely be a bit extreme within the eyes of the folks, as a result of it’s incompatible with the blue. Bai is now abusing the facility of Congress. A extra acceptable method is to take the chance to make clear the separation of powers and the democratic system, particularly the manager, legislative, and judicial components.”
Will it evolve into “Sunflower 2.0”?
picture supply,Chiba Yasuyoshi/AFP
Picture caption,On Could 21, a whole lot of demonstrators gathered exterior Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to protest towards the reform invoice proposed by the opposition get together, whereas ruling get together lawmakers blocked the passage of the invoice internally.
On Could 21, civil society organizations known as for folks to assemble to protest. After work and lessons, giant crowds of individuals continued to pour into Qingdao East Street, Zhongshan South Street, Jinan Street intersection, and Zhongxiao East Street exterior the Legislative Yuan. One of many organizers, “United for Financial Democracy,” introduced Greater than 30,000 folks gathered on the scene.
Individuals on the scene held slogans reminiscent of “I despise Congress” and “Anti black bins, anti enlargement of energy” within the rain, and shouted slogans “No dialogue, no democracy”. Some folks additionally held sunflowers.
Taiwanese chip trade tycoon Cao Xingcheng additionally attended the rally. He took the stage to share that “the facility enlargement invoice will put the legislative energy over the manager energy and the judicial energy, and eventually change into legislative independence.” On this approach, the Legislative Yuan can command the Govt Yuan and the Judicial Yuan sooner or later. , police and army. He additionally mentioned that China is popping Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan into Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, saying that Taiwan mustn’t change into Hong Kong.
Weng Lvzhong, an affiliate professor within the Division of Politics at Sam Houston State College in Texas, USA, advised BBC Chinese language that the outbreak of social actions right now might be a blessing or a curse for the ruling get together. If the incident escalates into “Sunflower Motion 2.0”, the gang will conflict. The legislative problem to the ruling get together won’t be small. “I’m afraid that even the US will rethink learn how to consider it, as a result of it’s tough for a democratic nation to think regarding that the ruling get together is inflicting chaos.”
picture supply,Ye Sen/AFP
Picture caption,On Could 21, DPP legislators held sunflowers in protest within the chamber.
Political scientist Zhang Junhao mentioned that this dispute within the Legislative Yuan entails problems with procedural equity and justice, and has touched the nerves of many younger folks and center voters. “We can’t rule out mobilization by the DPP, however we can’t say that this can be a motion led by the ruling get together.” . He additionally believes that it’s nonetheless too early to say whether or not this time will evolve into “Sunflower Motion 2.0”.
The “Sunflower Motion” that broke out on March 18, 2014 originated from the then Kuomintang legislator Zhang Qingzhong utilizing 30 seconds within the Legislative Yuan to announce that the controversial “Cross-Strait Settlement on Commerce in Companies” (known as Commerce in Companies) has exceeded 3 Throughout the month-to-month evaluation interval, it ought to be considered “handed”. The method was accused of being a black field operation, which aroused public outrage. College students and social activists occupied the Legislative Yuan for 23 days.
What do you consider Beijing?
picture supply,Gao Yu/AFP
Picture caption,Three days following Lai Qingde got here to energy, the Individuals’s Liberation Military performed army workout routines close to Taiwan.
The Chinese language authorities has not expressed its place on the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan dispute, however following Lai Ching-te got here to energy on Could 20, Beijing used a tricky tone to warn that Taiwan independence was a “useless finish” and criticized Lai’s inauguration speech as “filled with hostility and provocation” and an out-and-out “Taiwan independence confession”. ”. Simply three days following he took workplace, the Individuals’s Liberation Military performed army workout routines round Taiwan “with out warning.”
Scholar Zhuang Jiaying mentioned that Beijing very a lot hopes to impose authority on the Lai Ching-te authorities and the Democratic Progressive Celebration. He additionally identified that the CCP’s infiltration has precedents and can’t be dominated out that they may intensify Taiwan’s inside divisions, which will even enable them to place strain on Taiwan and attempt to lengthen their management. Professor Zhang Junhao additionally identified that Beijing is completely happy to see chaos in Taiwan. The extra chaos “on the island”, the better the CCP’s room for maneuver.
Weng Lv-zhong believes that if the blue and inexperienced events refuse to compromise with one another and change into additional polarized on the dispute over the Congressional Reform Invoice, the subsequent 4 years will in all probability be like this, which can have an effect on Taiwan’s safety in the long term. “What we actually want to fret regarding is that if Taiwan will not be united, it is going to It’s going to have an effect on future nationwide safety methods and instructions.”
Audio plus textual content,In accordance with the unification impartial subject ballot performed by the Taiwan Political and Election Analysis Heart, “sustaining the established order eternally” has surpassed “sustaining the established order and deciding later” in recent times, quickly rating as the best proportion possibility. Why do increasingly more Taiwanese folks need to “keep the established order eternally”?
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