TAIPEI (TVBS News)—The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) addressed the controversy surrounding recent legislative reform amendments on Thursday (May 23). KMT conveyed to the international community that reform is a mainstream expectation of Taiwan's public opinion.
Speaking at a press conference, Ko Chih-en, the National Policy Foundation executive director, stated that the KMT's push for parliamentary reform aims to meet the majority's expectations. By leveraging their majority seats in the Legislative Yuan, the party seeks to strengthen the legislature's power to oversee the executive branch.
Ko emphasized the necessity of these reforms for consolidating and deepening Taiwan's democracy and expressed regret over the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) attempts to smear the reform efforts.
Wu Tsung-hsien, the convener of the Judiciary, Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, detailed the reform bill's extensive review process.
It included three public hearings with 49 experts and scholars, two committee reviews, one special report, and four cross-party negotiations, totaling over seven hours of deliberation. Wu criticized the DPP for its reluctance to pass the bill, accusing it of using online influencers to smear the opposition and confusing the youth with "black box" legislation tactics.
The Legislative Yuan processed amendments to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan`s Power on May 21, enduring a 14.5-hour voting marathon. The second reading passed 21 articles and one chapter title on the exercise of investigative powers. The session scheduled for May 24 will continue to review related legislative amendments.
Eric Chu and Hou Yu-ih support the parliamentary reforms, highlighting a unified front within the KMT against the DPP's resistance.