’PLAYING HAPPILY’:DPP legislators shouted that a ‘shadow’ committee meeting had ignored legislative rules, which they said prohibited agenda changes on short notice
Taipei Times
Date Jul 01, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter
A scheduled meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environment Hygiene
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Kun-yuh yesterday attempts to put a chair on the convener’s podium during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environment Hygiene Committee while Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators occupy the podium. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Committee was empty most of yesterday following fierce inter-party bickering over agenda-setting rights, with the committee’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) majority refusing to agree to late night changes by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏), the committee’s co-convener.
A group of KMT lawmakers — including many non-committee members — occupied the convener’s podium early yesterday morning, sparking a shouting match with DPP committee members, with DPP Legislator Wu Kun-yuh (吳焜裕) seemingly swinging a chair at KMT lawmakers while banging it against the podium desk.
“Labor rights have become a major social issue over the past few days and according to legislative rules, committee conveners have the right to make agenda changes when major issues come up,” Wang said, adding that DPP co-convenors of other committees in the past had made similar changes at short notice. [FULL STORY]
