Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 28 May, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Sporadic clashes broke out between ruling and opposition lawmakers on Tuesday.

Sporadic clashes broke out between ruling and opposition lawmakers on Tuesday.
The legislature has approved the government’s nomination of Lee Chin-yung as the chair of the Central Election Commission. That’s despite scuffles between the ruling and opposition lawmakers.

The former Yunlin County commissioner received 65 votes on Tuesday, over half of the votes cast by lawmakers who were present.

Lee’s nomination is divisive because Lee is a former member of the ruling DPP. Opposition KMT lawmakers say that Lee only asked to have his party membership revoked after he’d already been nominated. They say this calls Lee’s suitability into question, as the electoral commission is non-partisan and its chair should be impartial.

KMT lawmakers are particularly concerned about Lee’s background because Taiwan is scheduled to hold elections next January. At Tuesday’s confirmation vote, KMT lawmakers occupied the podium and grabbed the ballot box in an effort to keep their DDP counterparts from casting their ballots. Sporadic clashes broke out between the two camps throughout the day.    [FULL  STORY]