Group targets
lawmakers for obstructionism
"We
held this press conference a few days before the legislative
election to remind voters again to keep their eyes wide open
before they cast their votes on Dec. 1."
--Shane Lee, Alliance
of Citizens Monitoring the Legislative Yuan
2001/11/27 Taipei Times
By Sandy Huang
STAFF REPORTER
The Alliance of Citizens Monitoring the Legislative
Yuan singled out 20 legislators yesterday for "paralyzing
the legislative process."
Alliance members pointed out that the lawmakers' defiance of
procedural rules on the legislative floor had sacrificed citizens'
rights and interests. It called on the public to think twice
before voting for any of the 20 individuals, all but one of
whom are running for re-election in the up-coming legislative
election.
"We held this press conference a few days before the legislative
election to remind voters again to keep their eyes wide open
before they cast their votes on Dec. 1," said Shane Lee
(李憲榮), a professor of political science at Chang-Jung University.
Lee said that the list of names had been compiled from media
reports, which the alliance regarded as evidence against the
legislators.
When asked whether media reports could be regarded as sufficient
evidence on which to make such charges, Lee said, "If these
media reports were mistaken, why didn't the legislators come
forward to correct them in the first place?"
On the basis of the media reports, the alliance claimed that
the 20 legislators had taken advantage of their positions to
further their personal and professional interests.
"For instance they either blocked certain bills for their
own private interests and/or passed first and second readings
of bills without the knowledge of the relevant legislative committees,"
Lee said
"Some of [these named legislators] had not avoided meetings
in which there was a potential conflict of interest involving
their private business interests, which they are required to
do as legislators, and/or engaged in senseless arguments that
paralyzed the legislative process and brought meetings to a
deadlock," Lee said.
"That's why we're releasing this list for the public to
use as a reference prior to the Dec. 1 elections," he said.
"It is to prevent these legislators from sacrificing the
citizens' rights and interests again on the legislative floor
in pursuit of their own private agenda and interests,"
he said
Lee, who is also the convener of the alliance, said the list
was not targeted at specific political parties. "The alliance
is not affiliated with any political party and has no political
goals," Lee said.
"The sole purpose of the alliance is to hold the legislators
accountable for their actions and to serve as a watchdog over
the Legislative Yuan, which the media is calling the source
of political chaos in Taiwan," he said.
KMT legislators on the list are Fung
Hu-hsiang (馮滬祥), Ho Jyh-huei (何智輝), Hsiao Chin-lan (蕭金蘭), Hsu
Shu-po (許舒博), Huang Min-Ho (黃明和), Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), Hung
Yuh-chin (洪玉欽), Mu Min-chu (穆閩珠), Lee Shang-ren (李先仁), Lo Min-tsai
(羅明才), Song Shiun-guang (宋煦光) and Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
Legislators with the People First
Party are Cheng Chin-ling (鄭金玲), Huang Yih-jiau (黃義交) and Shen
Chih-hwei (沈智慧).
Two New Party candidates made the
list -- Chang Shih-liang (張世良) and Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大) -- as
did two independents -- Liao Hsueh-kuang (廖學廣) and Tsai Hao
(蔡豪).
Tsai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) was the only
DPP legislator on the list.
