KMT passes legislative review to amend recall law in just 3 minutes
A legislative bill to raise the threshold to recall elected officials is the latest battleground between lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties. The proposal, submitted by KMT lawmaker Hsu Yu-chen includes a provision that “recall votes must be greater than the number of votes the official received when elected.” On Monday morning, KMT lawmakers blocked DPP lawmakers from the meeting room by force, making for a small gathering and the passing of the bill in one minute.
KMT lawmakers block the entryway and push back DPP lawmakers trying to enter the committee meeting.
In this footage, KMT lawmaker Chiu Chen-chun is seen pushing DPP lawmaker Hsu Chih-chieh on the head, four times to be exact. Moments later, Hsu is being lifted off by another KMT lawmaker Yu Hao, who’s twice his size.
And here’s KMT lawmaker Hsu Chiao-hsin constraining Hsu.
Meanwhile, a fight broke out between KMT lawmaker Chen Yu-chen and DPP lawmaker Chen Ting-fei.
What exactly is going on? At 10 p.m. the night before, KMT lawmakers made their way to stand guard at the Legislative Yuan, as the DPP were reportedly preparing to do the same. The KMT wants to raise the threshold to recall elected officials, which the DPP is against.
After the KMT lawmakers arrived Sunday night, they put tape around the entrance and even locked the emergency exit door. The next morning, DPP lawmaker Asenay Daliyalrep used sanitary pads as makeshift post-it notes and wrote “The KMT is afraid of being recalled” in protest on the door. Meanwhile, DPP lawmaker Chung Chia-pin went onto the lookout on the second floor to find a way in. He was followed by two KMT lawmakers. But when all this was going on, the meeting had already begun.
At 9 a.m. sharp, KMT lawmaker Hsu Hsin-ying announced the start of the meeting, when only a handful of other KMT lawmakers were present. After one minute, Hsu announced that the proposed amendments have passed committee review. Then, at 9:03, the meeting ends, and DPP lawmakers could finally enter the room.
Tsai Yi-yu
DPP caucus secretary-general
That’s not how things work at the legislature. We weren’t even allowed inside the conference room. At least let us in. We didn’t even get a chance to speak up during the procedure. How is that a committee? It’s a travesty. It’s even worse than martial law.
The DPP voiced concern over the procedure, but it seems the KMT caucus is determined for their amendments to pass before the end of the current legislative session on Jan. 21 next year.
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2024-12-16
