UNTAINTED: The Democratic Progressive Party caucus did not want to see religious groups smeared due to the chaos surrounding the bill, the caucus convener said
Taipei Times
Date: Oct 25, 2018
By: Yang Chun-hui, Lin Liang-sheng, Lee Hsin-fang and Sherry Hsia / Staff reporters, with staff writer
Due to controversy over a draft religious basic act, the Legislative Yuan’s Internal
Representatives of various temples protest against the draft religious basic act in front of Taitung County Hall yesterday. Photo: Chang Tsun-wei, Taipei Times
Administration Committee decided to cancel a scheduled review scheduled for yesterday.
The draft act was sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Ma Wen-chun (馬文君), as well as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺), and cosigned by more than 30 legislators across party lines.
Article 10 of the bill would have established the principle of the separation of “divine” and “mortal”, and forbidden the governing authorities from interfering in religious affairs.
The same article would have prevented the courts from mediating religious affairs, or interfering with the organizing of religious groups and the appointing of group personnel.
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