POLITICAL CLIMATE:A motion to abolish provisions on independence was set aside, with a DPP official saying the government does not want to deal with the issue right now

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 18, 2016
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), acting in her capacity as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

chairperson, yesterday presided over the party’s national congress, speaking about the troubles the administration has faced in the past two months and urging all members to try to meet the public’s expectations.

In the first DPP national congress since the party won control of both the executive and legislative branches of the government, Tsai reminded party delegates of their responsibilities and promises to the public.

“I would like you to take a look at what has happened in Taiwan over the past two months,” Tsai said while pointing to two large screens on stage.

“In the first picture, we see Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport when it was flooded. Next, we see China Airlines flight attendants on strike, then the accidental launch of a Hsiung Feng III missile and last, this is Taitung County devastated after a typhoon,” she said.     [FULL  STORY]

PLENTY ON AGENDA:The sessions are to deal with the Labor Standards Act, ill-gotten party assets and transitional justice, issues on which lawmakers were at odds yesterday

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 13, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday resolved to call two

extraordinary legislative sessions this month and next month.

The sessions are expected to deal with the confirmations of the Judicial Yuan president and vice president nominees, an amendment to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), budget plans for state-run enterprises and bills for dealing with ill-gotten party assets and promoting transitional justice.

The DPP caucus said it would officially propose the calling of extraordinary sessions on Monday next week, with the first extraordinary session scheduled to take place from Tuesday next week through July 26.

During the session, the Executive Yuan’s proposed amendments to the Labor Standards Act would be reviewed by the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said.     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: June 24, 2016
By: Stephanie Chao

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The first national pension reform committee convened at the Presidential

Office Thursday, though the meeting quickly heated up as committee members came to verbal blows over procedural concerns and questionable agenda details.

Minister-without-portfolio and deputy committee chairman Lin Wan-i (林萬億), in a press conference after the afternoon-long meeting, clarified that concerns over a lack of legal representatives on the committee can be brought up for discussion in future meetings.

Lin went on to defuse rumors that the weekly meeting schedule was based upon his pledge that if reforms were not wrapped up within a year, he would step down.

“Weekly meetings are mainly in place, which is also stipulated in the regulation, in order to avoid repetitiveness and a lack of efficiency,” he explained. “There are many matters to be discussed.”     [FULL  STORY]

‘GREEN TERROR’:KMT lawmakers accused their DPP counterparts of using ‘majority violence,’ while the convener said the opposition did not know the rules

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 09, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

Scuffles among lawmakers broke out in the legislature in Taipei yesterday as a combined session

completed the final procedural step before sending draft legislation targeting “illicit party assets” into cross-caucus negotiations.

A combined session of the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee, the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statues Committee, and the Finance Committee on Monday passed the draft legislation after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators stormed out of a review session at which they used extended “procedural remarks” to slow the progress of a Democratic Progress Party (DPP)-sponsored proposal.

Yesterday’s session was to confirm Monday’s meeting minutes to enable the draft act to be sent out of committee ahead of a five-day recess, including the Dragon Boat Festival, and before KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) is scheduled to take her turn in the rotation as convener of the Internal Administration Committee next week.

Members of the New Power Party caucus arrived early to prevent KMT legislators from occupying the convener’s podium — a strategy commonly used by members of the opposition to impede proceedings.     [FULL  STORY]

Why you need to know: President Tsai has vowed to transform the way government operates by empowering young people and bringing new voices into her administration. For this to happen, the conservatives will have to be willing to bow out gracefully.

The News Lens
Date: 2016/06/07
By: J. Michael Cole

Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her Democratic Progressive Party ran a highly successful campaign

leading into the January elections. Unlike their opponents from the Kuomintang (KMT), the DPP much better understood — and reflected in its rhetoric — the public mood that had developed in the wake of the transformative Sunflower Movement in 2014. With Tsai’s election, people expected change, and the incoming president herself promised she would transform the way things are done.
Then came her Cabinet appointments, which very quickly cast doubt on the likelihood that change was upon us. With an average age of 61, the ministerial lineup was technocratic, male dominated, and to be frank, it was oddly reminiscent of previous Cabinet compositions.
Facing a storm of criticism, the Tsai administration countered with the claim that it had a limited list of candidates to choose from, and added it was aiming for experience and continuity — two fine things, no doubt, but not exactly suggestive of a commitment to rejuvenation.     [FULL  STORY]