Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/06
By: Sunrise Huang and Elizabeth Hsu
Taipei, Dec. 6 (CNA) The best time to accomplish reform of the Legislature will be now until the term of
office of the incumbent lawmakers ends in January, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said Sunday.
Once new lawmakers are elected and assume the office on Feb. 1, they will not want to push the reform because “once with power in hands, no one will want to see his or her power checked and balanced,” said Wang, a veteran member of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), while stumping for KMT legislative candidate Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) in New Taipei.
The legislative elections are slated for Jan. 16, 2016, the same day when the presidential election will be held. The current Legislative Yuan is made up of 113 members, whose four-year term started on Feb. 1, 2012, and will expire on Jan. 31 next year.
Wang has recently shown an eagerness to pushing for the long-discussed legislative reform, particularly one that gives the Legislature the power to investigate major political controversies, demand the relevant authorities to present data in relation to the investigation, and hold parliamentary hearings so that anyone can be called to testify and present data as evidence. [FULL STORY]