|
Legislators brawl again over
controversial bills
CHINESE STUDENT INVASION: The opposition is trying to stop
review of two bills that would allow Chinese to study in Taiwan and give
recognition to Chinese degrees
By Flora Wang
STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010, Page 1
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin
Shu-fen, center, and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Shao-ping,
right, yesterday fall down as clashes break out at the Legislative Yuan again
over the government’s plan to allow Chinese students to study in Taiwan.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Scuffles broke out on the legislative floor again yesterday over the two
controversial bills that aimed to bring Chinese students to Taiwan and to
recognize Chinese credentials.
Lawmakers brawled at the Education and Culture Committee as legislative staffers
of the committee were trying to read through the minutes of last Wednesday’s
session and have legislators confirm that the committee session last week had
completed the preliminary review of the two proposals.
Staging a filibuster, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators occupied
the convener’s podium and besieged the legislative staffers amid pushing by
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators.
At another side of the conference room, DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) chased
KMT Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟), shouting “the KMT should be ashamed” as Lu
was leaving for the conference room’s lounge.
Lu at first told Chiu to mind her manners as a woman, but later pushed Chiu to
the ground while Chiu kept yelling “shame on [President] Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)” and
“shame on the KMT administration.”
DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德), who was at the scene, urged Lu to apologize
for “hitting a woman,” but Lu refused, arguing that Chiu was accusing him of
being shameless.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Chao Li-yun (趙麗雲), one of the conveners of the
committee, burst into tears, saying that “we are paid to do something instead of
being paid to fight.”
Yesterday’s session was the committee’s first meeting after the KMT and the DPP
brawled on Wednesday last week when the committee was scheduled to review
proposed amendments to the University Act (大學法) and the Vocational School Act
(專科學校法) that would allow Taiwanese schools to recruit Chinese students and give
recognition to Chinese credentials.
Minister of Education Wu Ching-chi (吳清基) gave a short briefing to the committee
during the conflict last week, while Chao later announced that the two bills
would be referred to cross-party negotiations — a necessary procedure before the
bills can be put to the second reading.
The DPP questioned whether the committee had completed the necessary preliminary
review process, while the KMT insisted that the bills had passed committee
review. KMT Legislator Chiang Yi-hsiung (江義雄), the other head of the committee,
called for a break as yesterday’s conflict escalated. He resumed the meeting
shortly afterwards and announced that the minutes had been confirmed — a move
meaning that the committee confirmed the referral.
DPP caucus whip Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) protested at the result, saying the
meeting should be considered invalid as Chiang, who should have presided over
yesterday’s session, was not present when legislative staffers read through the
minutes.
KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) dismissed the DPP’s criticism, saying that the
committee had followed due procedure.
“DPP legislators, why don’t you just quit and go home? Aren’t you ashamed of
being on the government’s payroll [while getting into fights on the legislative
floor]?” he asked.
|
