Taiwan legislators 結果共48筆

Taiwan’s newly elected Legislative Yuan speaker, Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT), cannot be recalled despite public demands due to existing laws. Unlike district-based legislators, Han, as an at-large legislator, is immune to recall. The announcement of Han’s victory in the legislative speaker election on Feb. 1 triggered a surge of interest in the topic of recall. This is a significant turnaround for Han, who was previously recalled as Kaohsiung Mayor in 2019. His brief 528-day term set a record for the shortest in Taiwan’s municipal history, with an unprecedented 939,090 votes of approval. Han’s actions, including his rapid bid for the presidency after being elected mayor in 2018, and perceived ineffective governance, have garnered significant criticism.

Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT) emerged victorious over You Si-kun of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the 11th Legislative Yuan Speaker election, securing 54 votes compared to You’s 51 votes. The KMT also nominated Johnny Chiang, while the DPP fielded incumbent speaker You and deputy speaker Tsai Chi-chang. The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presented Huang Shan-shan as a candidate. After the first round of voting, no candidate had a majority, leading to a second round between Han and You. In the second round, all eight TPP legislators were absent, and the results mirrored the first round. Han’s win confirmed him as the 11th Legislative Yuan Speaker, with the deputy speaker election scheduled for later in the day.

Newly elected legislators, including prominent figures from various parties such as Han Kuo-yu and Hsieh Lung-chieh from the Kuomintang (KMT), Wang Shih-chien from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and Huang Kuo-chang from the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), gathered at the Legislative Yuan to take the oath of office and participate in a group photo. Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, despite only serving one term, was placed in the center of the photo, flanked by the DPP’s caucus convener Ker Chien-ming and the KMT’s Lai Shyh-bao, who has served eight straight terms. The event was filled with a dynamic ambiance due to the presence of these experienced legislators.

The 11th term legislators in Taiwan reported for duty and will elect the new Speaker and Vice Speaker of the Legislative Yuan. Notable incumbents include Han Kuo-yu, Wang Shih-chien, and Huang Kuo-chang. The KMT has put forth Han Kuo-yu and Johnny Chiang as candidates, while the DPP has nominated You Si-kun and Tsai Chi-chang. The TPP has unanimously elected Huang Shan-shan as its candidate. The KMT controls 54 seats, the DPP holds 51, and the TPP has eight. If no one secures a majority in the first round, a second round will be held. The speaker election will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by the vice speaker election from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Results are expected by 5 p.m.

Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), expresses confidence in his re-election ahead of the legislative speaker vote on Feb. 1. Reports suggest a split vote by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), with support for You from the DPP for Speaker and endorsement of Johnny Chiang from the Kuomintang (KMT) for Deputy Speaker. You emphasizes the need for constitutional amendments to address significant legislative reforms proposed by the TPP’s new legislators. He also recommends a review and reform of the entire constitutional system, advocating for adherence to the conventional separation of powers. The TPP will hold an internal meeting on Jan. 26 to discuss the matter further.

Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) visited the Legislative Yuan to participate in the ＂New Legislator Consensus Camp.＂ Lai encouraged the newly-elected DPP legislators, stressing his neutral stance in Congress. He shared his past experiences and strategies as DPP caucus head, as well as the painful experiences he went through during his tenure. Lai, hailed as the strongest caucus director during his time in the Legislative Yuan, gave three suggestions to the new legislators: to become a new force for the nation, to focus on their professional duties and ideals, and to work cooperatively with the party caucus to advance national development goals. Lai emphasized the importance of teamwork in the Legislative Yuan and hopes to guide the new legislators in effective governance and realizing their ideals in Congress through the sharing of experiences by Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun and caucus whip Ker Chien-ming.

Taiwan’s Premier Chen Chien-jen and his cabinet have tendered their resignations, which were approved during a cabinet meeting. The resignations await confirmation by the president for a new government to take charge on May 20. The premier is expected to step down before the first legislative assembly after the current legislators’ term expires. The executive branch will continue to push its policy agenda during this transitional period, aiming to work with the new legislative body to promote policies beneficial to the nation and its citizens. Chen Chien-jen launched significant policies during his term, including cash handouts, education subsidies, and safety measures for a sustainable automobile society. He also emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to defense capabilities and democracy through the successful submarine launch and the resumption of one-year military service.

Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Presidential candidate, announced at a rally in Pingtung his plans to construct a Taiwan High-Speed Rail line and two expressways in the area. Lai aims to balance Taiwan’s national development projects and bring more support and assistance to Pingtung, transforming it into a ＂beautiful new homeland.＂ His promises include extending the high-speed rail to Chaozhou Township, reducing travel time from Taipei to less than two hours. Lai also intends to attract high-tech industries, introduce agricultural technology, and enhance the export competitiveness of local farm produce. Additionally, he plans to uplift tourism service quality in Pingtung, transforming Kenting into a destination similar to Bali and developing Dapeng Bay into a Hawaii-like getaway. Lai emphasized Pingtung’s importance in the implementation of the New Southbound Policy, highlighting its potential contribution to Taiwan’s development in collaboration with other southern counties and cities. He credited his past contributions to Pingtung’s development, such as the Pingtung Veterans General Hospital, to the efforts of former Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an, current commissioner Chou Chun-mi, and legislators. Lai seeks local residents’ support to make Pingtung glorious again.

A new poll by ETtoday reveals a tight race in the upcoming 2024 presidential election in Taiwan. The Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai-Hsiao ticket, consisting of Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim, leads with 35.9% support, slightly ahead of the Kuomintang’s Hou-Jaw ticket, comprised of Hou Yu-ih and Jaw Shaw-kong, at 34.7%. The Taiwan People’s Party’s Ko-Wu ticket, featuring Ko Wen-je and Cynthia Wu, trails behind with 19.6% support. Despite the close percentages, 44.3% of the public expresses confidence in the Lai-Hsiao ticket’s ability to win, compared to 30.1% for Hou-Jaw and 13.8% for Ko-Wu. Conversely, 40.5% of voters are certain they will not vote for Lai-Hsiao, while 27.3% reject Hou-Jaw and 20.6% turn away from Ko-Wu. In terms of non-constituency legislators, the KMT leads with 35% support, followed by the DPP with 31.3% and the TPP at 14.5%. The poll highlights public concern over Taiwan’s economic ties with China, particularly due to recent trade restrictions viewed as trade barriers and the suspension of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) measures. Additionally, 47.1% of respondents worry that a Lai Ching-te presidency could worsen cross-strait economic and people-to-people exchanges, while 16.4% hold the same concern for Hou Yu-ih and 11.6% for Ko Wen-je. The poll, conducted from December 18 to 19, surveyed 1,224 respondents with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8%. Compared to the previous poll from December 14 to 15, support for the Lai-Hsiao ticket dropped by 2.6 percentage points, while the Hou-Jaw ticket saw a minor decline of 0.4 percentage points, and the Ko-Wu ticket remained unchanged. The number of undecided voters increased to 9.8%, indicating the undecided nature of the electorate ahead of the presidential vote.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) criticized Taiwan’s People Party (TPP) vice-presidential candidate Cynthia Wu for disregarding the ministry’s risk assessment and participating in the COP28 climate conference. MOFA expressed ＂puzzlement＂ and ＂regret＂ over her failure to publicly denounce China while questioning MOFA’s tactics internally. The ministry clarified that the constraints faced by the Legislative Yuan’s supervisory delegation at COP28 were primarily due to Wu’s status as a ＂vice-presidential candidate＂ and explained the potential increased risk of suppression to her. They pointed out that Wu’s controversial participation provided an opportunity for China to exert pressure, potentially hindering the delegation’s attendance and damaging Taiwan’s future chances of participating in such events. The ministry emphasized that no instructions were given to legislators to keep a low profile and remain silent, arguing that maintaining a low profile is conducive to Taiwan’s interests when participating in international activities.

The Legislative Yuan has passed the Minimum Wage Bill in Taiwan, which requires employers to meet minimum wage standards when settling wages with employees. Noncompliance with this law could result in fines of up to NT＄1.5 million and public disclosure of the offender’s name. The new legislation mandates the inclusion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as one of the key references when determining minimum wage, linking wage adjustments more closely with the cost of living. Previously, adjustments to the basic wage were governed by lesser regulations - the Deliberation Regulations for Basic Wage, which are merely administrative orders and do not guarantee annual wage increases. Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun welcomed the passage of this legislation, expressing gratitude to labor and employer groups, scholar experts, and legislators from all parties for their support. President Tsai Ing-wen had initially proposed the elevation of the Minimum Wage from an administrative order to the force of law in her 2016 policy plan, but it took seven years for the draft to make its way through the legislative process.

KMT Chairman Eric Chu urges veteran legislators to support KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih in the upcoming elections to fight for Taiwan’s future. Chu emphasizes the party’s efforts in nominating young candidates, particularly highlighting Chan Wan-chen’s run for the legislative seat in Chiayi County’s first district. Despite a late start in her campaign, Chan is doubling down on efforts to meet and seek support from constituents. Chu expresses confidence in Chan due to her deep-rooted service in Chiayi and believes that the people of Chiayi will support her.

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislator Lai Hsiang-ling has called for the inclusion of a formula in the Minimum Wage Act to guarantee that wage adjustments are not lower than the inflation rate. Meanwhile, New Power Party legislator Chiu Hsien-chih has demanded that representatives from the Ministry of Labor (MOL) be involved in the wage deliberation committee and that evaluation reports be made public before meetings. Lai has expressed concern about the lack of changes in the current draft of the Minimum Wage Act and the limited number of academic representatives on the committee. She has proposed increasing the number of labor representatives and considering factors such as the consumer price index annual increase rate, previous year levels, rent, and employment dependency ratios in annual wage adjustments. Lai has also suggested barring non-compliant small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from participating in government tenders.

Legislators at the Legislative Yuan are demanding that the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) clearly define ＂fresh milk＂ to differentiate between imported milk and domestically-produced fresh milk in order to protect local dairy farmers. This demand comes as the 10-year anniversary of the economic cooperation agreement known as ANZTEC between New Zealand and Taiwan approaches, which will bring about a zero-tariff policy by 2025. The MOA has committed to collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to discuss the criteria for defining ’fresh milk.’ Proposals suggest establishing a clear distinction between domestic raw milk and imported liquid milk to ensure stability in contracts between dairy farmers and milk product manufacturers. It is argued that due to high-temperature sterilization and long-distance transportation, imported milk products should be categorized differently from fresh milk produced and stocked within Taiwan. The Acting Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih stated that the storage period and processing issues for ’fresh milk’ will be discussed in consultation with the MOHW, and milk labels will be revised to emphasize ＂Taiwan fresh milk＂ for market segmentation, preserving the label exclusively for domestically produced fresh milk. Currently, the national definition of ＂fresh milk＂ refers to raw cow’s milk processed with heating, sterilization, and refrigeration for consumption without specifying a shelf life.

Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih vows to assemble a strong team for the 2024 elections, including 15 mayors, legislators, and village chiefs. The KMT aims to restore stability and prosperity amid concerns over national security and public demands for change. A meeting between Hou, Terry Gou, and Ko Wen-je to discuss opposition consolidation ends without agreement. KMT chairman Eric Chu shows support as the party’s at-large legislative candidates register with the Central Election Commission. Former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu calls for KMT legislators to address the nation’s needs, question policies, and fight against corruption.

DPP chairman and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te has proposed including mainland Chinese students in Taiwan’s healthcare system, citing medical human rights and the strengthening of the epidemic prevention system. Lai’s plan, which treats mainland Chinese students as international students and includes them in the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, has faced objections from some party legislators. However, Lai has stated that after providing necessary clarification, fellow party members have generally accepted the idea. Lai has emphasized the human rights perspective of his proposal and distinguished it from criticism of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) for nominating a legislator connected with China. Lai believes that including mainland Chinese students in the NHI system will make the healthcare network more comprehensive, especially after three years of pandemic prevention efforts.

The National Security Bureau (NSB) of Taiwan is actively investigating polling companies suspected of having strong ties with China and engaging in illicit financial activities. Concerns have been raised about potential Chinese intervention in the upcoming 2024 general elections. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) has been accused of attempting to influence election results by inviting pro-Kuomintang (KMT) commentators and polling officials to China. There are reports of generative AI technologies being used to spread disinformation through edited viral clips, potentially impacting the elections. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators have called for offensive counter-espionage techniques to combat these opposing forces. The NSB is working to trace the origins of these financial flows and is closely monitoring the situation. The NSB has also warned that legal action will be taken if any manipulative activity or election fraud is detected.

The Ministry of Education in Taiwan has proposed a monthly subsidy of NT$1,200 to NT$1,500 for students living on campus, starting in February 2024. This initiative is expected to benefit approximately 260,000 students residing in public and private universities. The Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan examined the ministry’s budget for 2024, with some legislators suggesting the extension of the rent subsidy program to include on-campus students. The central government had previously expanded the rent subsidy policy for off-campus students in July, offering a monthly subsidy of NT$2,400 to NT$3,600. Additionally, legislators are interested in discussing a special program for college students with the Ministry of the Interior. The Department of Higher Education has confirmed its intention to provide a defined monthly subsidy to on-campus resident students, initially planning to offer NT$1,200 to NT$1,500 per month.

Over half of Taiwan’s residents believe that the country’s president and majority of legislators should come from different political parties, according to a poll conducted by Shih Hsin University’s Institute of Knowledge Economy Development. The poll showed that 51.8% of respondents held this view. Additionally, the poll found that 77.7% of participants supported the president giving a State of the Nation address to the Legislative Yuan. However, only 28.8% of participants were aware that an annual report to the legislature was a presidential responsibility. In terms of party cooperation, 53.5% of respondents backed the idea of the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People’s Party taking turns in the Presidential or Premier posts. Within this group, 36.1% were ＂somewhat supportive＂ and 17.4% were ＂strongly supportive,＂ while 30.2% opposed such a proposal. Furthermore, 34.5% of participants believed it would be best if the president and the majority of the Legislative Yuan were from the same party. This opinion was more prevalent among university graduates (59.3%) and those with postgraduate degrees (52.3%). The poll also revealed that 36.8% of respondents support the current government led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while 45.8% oppose it, and 17.4% did not express an opinion.

Legislators and veterinarian groups in Taiwan are calling for an expedited process to grant treatment approval for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a highly fatal disease for cats. FIP is particularly prevalent in cats with weakened immune systems, such as older or younger cats, and has an almost 100% mortality rate. Diagnosing and preventing the disease is challenging, and currently, there are no legal medications for FIP in Taiwan. Legislator Kao Chia-yu, in collaboration with veterinarian groups, is working to provide hope for cats suffering from FIP. Research has shown that GS-441524 tablets have curative effects, but the application process for animal medication has been halted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. During a press conference, the president of the Taiwan Academy of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Chung Sheng-hua, highlighted that Remdesivir, a COVID-19 medication, and Molnupiravir from MSD have also demonstrated effectiveness against FIP. Chung urged relevant authorities to expedite the legalization of these drugs to obtain the necessary animal medication permits.

Taiwan People’s Party leader Ko Wen-je has opened up a can of worms by calling for media scrutiny of Xu Chunying, who is under fire for potentially having dual citizenship with China. The move has been viewed as an open challenge to the Democratic Progressive Party, reigniting the debate over political eligibility for individuals with China connections.

Amid controversy over legislative nominations, Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je assures contentious legislators won’t join the Foreign and National Defense Committee. Concerns center on Xu Chunying, alleged TPP nominee and CCP member. Ko emphasizes the importance of upholding the rule of law in Taiwan’s political participation.

Premier Chen Chien-jen urged Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan on Wednesday (July 19) to pass the United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, after the U.S. Senate passed the trade agreement unanimously a day earlier.