20131123 Motion against SID boss put on agenda
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Motion against SID boss put on agenda

FRIENDS IN NEED: A motion tabled by the DPP and TSU demanding that Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming step down was put on the agenda with the help of KMT legislators

By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter


Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan Solidarity Union legislators cheer in the legislature yesterday after a motion demanding the resignation of Huang Shih-ming, the nation¡¦s top prosecutor, was put on the legislative agenda.
Photo: CNA


With support from 15 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators, a motion demanding the resignation of Prosecutor-General and Special Investigation Division (SID) Secretary-General Huang Shih-ming (¶À¥@»Ê), who was at the center of a recent political storm, was put on the legislative agenda yesterday.

A vote on the motion could be held within a month.

The motion against Huang was jointly tabled by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).

A second round of voting was needed after those backing the motion failed to collect more than half of the votes in the first round.

In the second round, in which only a simple majority was required to win, KMT legislators Yen Kuan-hen (ÃC¼eùÚ) and Chen Ken-te (³¯®Ú¼w) voted in favor of the motion, joining Lee Ching-hua (§õ¼yµØ), who had voted to push through the motion in the first round.

Twelve KMT legislators abstained from voting in the second round.

The motion, which demands that Huang step down immediately for his ¡§violations of the Constitution and laws, and disregard of the legislature,¡¨ was listed on the legislative agenda following a 46 to 38 vote, with 12 abstentions.

Huang was indicted earlier this month on charges of leaking classified information in violation of the Criminal Code and the Communication Security and Surveillance Act (³q°T«O»Ù¤ÎºÊ¹îªk) during the SID¡¦s pursuit of an improper lobbying case involving Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (¤ýª÷¥­).

The SID¡¦s handling of investigations into the case led to concerns over a possible failure to uphold judicial independence and due process of law, and also wiretapping abuse.

KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (ªLÂE¦À) said the KMT lawmakers who failed to vote against the motion would not face party discipline because the party did not demand in advance that caucus members toe the party line.

Lee said he would have voted in favor of the motion even if the KMT had decided to impose the whip in the case.

¡§Huang should have tendered his resignation of his own accord. It will take a long time to regain the public¡¦s trust in the judiciary if he leaves now, not to mention how long it will take if he continues to resist the demand [to step down],¡¨ Lee said.

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