|
Ma shirking responsibility over nominee, DPP says
By Chiu Yen-ling and Rich Chang / Staff Reporters
Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chen Ting-fei, Wang
Sing-nan, Gao Jyh-peng and Wong Chin-chu, from left to right, speak during a
press conference yesterday in which they criticized Presiden Ma Ying-jeou for
shifting blame
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Opposition lawmakers yesterday slammed President Ma Ying-jeou
(馬英九), saying he had shirked responsibility by insisting he was not aware of
Supreme Court Judge Shao Yen-ling’s (邵燕玲) controversial ruling in a sexual
assault case before nominating her to the Council of Grand Justices.
Ma apologized yesterday for his initial nomination of Shao for a seat on the
Council of Grand Justices on Thursday after a public outcry over a controversial
ruling handed down by a collegial panel led by Shao last year on the sexual
assault of a three-year-old girl.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) blasted Ma’s
defense as an attempt to “shirk responsibility.”
“Ma’s remarks were unacceptable,” Gao told a press conference. “Just because
Shao did not tell Ma [about her controversial ruling] and Ma did not know does
not mean Ma was not in the wrong.”
DPP Legislator Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) said Ma himself chose the wrong person and
yet he was letting Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who headed the special
task force recommending and screening candidates, shoulder the responsibility.
Saying the incident showed a lack of thoroughness in the screening process for
the nomination, Gao suggested all Council of Grand Justices nominees be
reconsidered.
The DPP caucus added that changing a nominee and offering apologies are not
enough, asking the Ma government to make clear what went wrong in the nomination
process.
If Ma failed to clear up the matter, it is the president himself who should be
replaced, the lawmakers said.
In reference to the so-called “dinosaur” judges deemed unfit for the positions,
DPP Deputy -Secretary-General Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) called the Ma administration
“an administration of dinosaurs.”
DPP Legislator Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) also ridiculed Ma’s choices of nominees,
saying he might as well nominate singer Lotus Wang (王彩樺), who could at least
give the people a semblance of hope by singing her song Bo Peep Bo Peep (有唱有保庇),
which is about asking deities for protection and good luck.
|
