09.28.05
Legislative chaos - the rematch
Last week, it was the KMT & PFP parties causing chaos in the legislature by ripping up speeches and blocking the podium, but it’s good to see that the DPP & TSU have just as much respect for the dignity of the legislature as they returned the favour yesterday:
While the pan-blue alliance was retreating to their seats, a skirmish broke out between Hung and DPP Legislator Yu Jan-daw (余政道), who was trying to grab her megaphone.
KMT Legislator Pai Tien-chih (白添枝) managed to take it back, but DPP Sandy Chuang (莊和子) attacked KMT Legislator Liao Wan-ju (廖婉汝).
Chuang pulled Liao’s hair and knocked off her spectacles, while Liao responded with a hard push.
Chuang was later taken to the nearby National Taiwan University Hospital, but KMT lawmakers blasted Chuang for faking injuries. Determined not to let Chuang get all the media attention, Liao also went to the legislature’s medical center for treatment.
Both camps then accused the other of starting the scuffle, and the KMT accused Yu of causing the mayhem under the influence of alcohol. Yu, however, denied the allegation and threatened to file a lawsuit against Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春), who Yu said hit him on the head during the disturbance.
What’s the cause of the chaos?
Although many people think the Taiwanese parliament doesn’t need a reason for a good punch-up, there are reasons (albeit not very good ones) for them. Last week, the fights were all started by the pan-Blues trying to block Premier Frank Hsieh from giving a speech … this week it was the pan-Greens trying to block pan-Blue legislation. There are three major pieces of legislation that have got up the noses of the Greens:
- The NCC bill. Currently all regulation of the media is done by the ‘Government Information Office’ (GIO) - a body which dates back to the (not-so-distant) past when the Government took a very active interest in censoring anything vaguely out of line with Government thinking. Everyone is in agreement that this body should be scrapped and replaced with a ‘National Communication Comission’ - but the debate (if you can call it that) is about the makeup of this body. The pan-Greens believe that it should be made up of non-partisan experts, while the pan-Blues believe they should be political appointees chosen to reflect the balance of the leigislature.
- The ‘cross-strait peace’ bill. The aim of this bill is to set up a body to negotiate with China - a nice idea if it wasn’t for the fact that it is outside the constitutional powers of the Legislature. It is trivial to predict the future of this bill: it will be passed despite the complaints of the pan-Greens, who will then boycott it. It will be judged unconstitutional, but the Blues will continue on regardless and meet with PRC negotiators to come to a totally meaningless agreement.
- Another March 19th Shooting ‘Truth’ investigation. If this passes, it will have exactly the same result as last years investigation (and similar to the item above). It will be ruled unconstitutional, boycotted by the Greens and come to some meaningless conclusions.
The fact that the DPP & TSU are right to oppose all three of the above proposals shouldn’t detract from the fact that they are behaving like idiots in treating the legislature as a wrestling arena. The sooner politicians in Taiwan realise that they have a functional legislative and judicial system, and that civilized nations use these institutions in preference to their fists, the better.
Jason said,
September 28, 2005 at 11:50 pm
Good post. I like how Liao insinuated Yu Jan-dau had been boozing it up and lost his temper. Maybe they should stop stocking the LY vending machines with Kaoliang wine.
Milton J. Madison said,
September 29, 2005 at 5:33 am
I went to a boxing match once and aTaiwanese legislative session broke out [Via Simon World]. Last week, it was the KMT & PFP parties causing chaos in the legislature by ripping up speeches and blocking the podium, but it’s good to see that the DPP & TSU have just as much respect for the dignity of the legislature as they
Wolf Reinhold said,
September 29, 2005 at 4:40 pm
Another March 19th Shooting ‘Truth’ investigation. If this passes, it will have exactly the same result as last years investigation (and similar to the item above). It will be ruled unconstitutional, boycotted by the Greens and come to some meaningless conclusions.
Only parts of Article Eight and Article 13 of the Organic Statute for the Truth Investigation Commission were deemed unconstitutional by the Council of Grand Justices. According to a CNA report on December 16 last year:
The paragraphs of Article Eight that were declared unconstitutional tried to give the commission the same powers as those of prosecutors and military prosecutors in carrying out investigations into the March 19 shooting, and no individual or government organization may invoke whatever law to exempt themselves from giving testimony, handing over documents or extending assistance to the commission.
These paragraphs also attempted to give the commission the power to impose fine and overseas traveling bans on people when it considered such actions necessary.
The paragraphs of Article 13 that were declared unconstitutional tried to give the commission the power to prosecute persons involved in the shooting.
So it is possible that the blues could create a commission that would not be struck down again, but I agree that the whole concept is flogging a dead horse.
JD said,
October 1, 2005 at 7:41 am
Antics like this one won’t go away until a large portion of the “uneducated” older generation dies off. It’s a sad situation, but it’s a sure-fire vote-getter. I mean, what better way to show your constituents that you are fighting for them by literally fighting the opposition on TV?
But no worries, mate. Young people are used to scenes like this one, and it’s common knowledge they stage fights just to get face time on TV, so why don’t you think of it as Taiwan’s version of Jerry Springer?
Simon World said,
October 4, 2005 at 7:34 am
reporting notes of a Xinhua reporter’s dealings with a Nanjing official. Creativity in Hong Kong and Singapore. Korea’s golf secrets exposed! Beijing and Taiwan trade overtures while America gets tough with Taiwan. Taiwan’s parliament againbecomes a boxing ring. David explains why. The Himalayan buffer states. The EIU on China’s media crackdown and reccent policy changes (via CDT). Dan wonders if Asian bloggers are too trusting of each other and Gordon weighs in on the
The Squirrels Are Watching said,
June 7, 2006 at 5:49 am
This is in response to the following essembly resolve: “We should support a democratic Taiwan’s independence against a totalitarian China.” I respect what’s Taiwan managed to accomplish through democracy, legislativescuffles aside, and recognize that Taiwan is, de facto, independent (given that Taiwan once claimed to speak for the mainland, you could say that the mainland is independent), but I have to disagree that the US should support a formal independence movement.
Taiwanese Independence - The Squirrels Are Watching - Everything the Government Wants to Know About Me said,
September 5, 2006 at 2:51 am
[...] This is in response to the following essembly resolve: “We should support a democratic Taiwan’s independence against a totalitarian China.” I respect what’s Taiwan managed to accomplish through democracy, legislative scuffles aside, and recognize that Taiwan is, de facto, independent (given that Taiwan once claimed to speak for the mainland, you could say that the mainland is independent), but I have to disagree that the US should support a formal independence movement. [...]