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Extra legislative
session set for end of next month
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: The issue of ractopamine-laced
beef is expected to be the primary focus of the July 25-27 extra session,
following interparty negotiations
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
An extra legislative session will be held from July 25 to 27 to discuss
controversial issues, including ractopamine-tainted beef imports and a capital
gains tax on securities transactions, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平)
said yesterday.
Wang made the announcement following interparty negotiations yesterday morning
in which all parties in the legislature agreed to hold a consultative meeting on
July 24 to finalize the agenda of the three-day extra session.
The extra session became necessary because the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
wants to pass amendments related to issues high on President Ma Ying-jeou’s
(馬英九) list of priorities, in particular the amendment of the Act Governing Food
Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) to lift the ban on ractopamine-laced beef imports.
The bills failed to clear the legislature in the regular session, which closed
on June 15, due to their controversy as well as the opposition’s five-day
boycott of the legislative proceedings.
According to Wang, amendments to impose a capital gains tax on securities
transactions, the review of four National Communications Commission (NCC)
nominees and other bills deemed as uncontroversial would be on the agenda as
well.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said in the negotiations that it would
approve the qualification review if the Executive Yuan agreed to replace the
nomination of Integral Investment Holdings Group managing director Chen
Yuan-ling (陳元玲), DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said.
However, the Executive Yuan rejected the proposal, leaving the DPP caucus with
no choice but to deal with the review in the extra session, Ker said.
The three amendments are “major bills” and should be discussed without
presumption, in particular the time-constrained qualification review of the NCC
nominees, KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said.
Lin added that other important bills, such as amendments that would implement
paid family care leave, should be passed despite differing opinions among the
parties.
The ractopamine-in-beef controversy is still expected to be the primary issue in
the extra session as Ma had reiterated that the passage of the amendments and
the subsequent lifting of a ban on ractopamine in beef would be essential to the
resumption of the stalled Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA)
negotiations between Taipei and Washington.
The president has added that the TIFA talks would play a pivotal role in
Taiwan’s attempt to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership in eight years and place
itself in a better position in regional economic integration.
The extra session comes despite the KMT’s strong majority of seats in the
legislature, as Ma was unable to persuade legislators from his party to pass the
amendments.
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