In response to the chaos in the legislative process of amending parliamentary powers by the blue and white lawmakers, the Taipei Bar Association issued a statement pointing out that the majority camp in the legislature passed related bills without substantial discussions, depriving the people of the opportunity to participate in deliberations on significant issues. The coerced voting also violates procedural justice, undermining the foundation of a democratic society in Taiwan. The association expressed great concern over the damage to the fundamental values of Taiwan as a democratic country.
The Kuomintang (KMT) and the People’s Party proposed parliamentary reform amendments, including enhancing investigative powers, establishing hearings, and introducing offenses of contempt against the parliament, under the banner of “expanding parliamentary powers” legislation. The bills were put to a vote during the legislature meeting on the 17th, triggering a severe physical altercation among lawmakers from different parties. DPP lawmaker Shen Boyang was forcibly pushed off the podium by KMT lawmakers in a controversial incident, resulting in his hospitalization at National Taiwan University Hospital. On that day, a total of six lawmakers, including DPP legislators Shen Boyang, Chung Chia-pin, Chiu Chih-wei, Chuang Jui-hsiung, Kuo Kuo-wen, and KMT legislator Wu Tsung-hsien, were sent to hospitals due to health issues.
The Taipei Bar Association released a statement today (18th), stating:
A properly functioning parliament is the cornerstone of a democratic nation, and procedural justice, substantive discussions, and thorough review are essential prerequisites for the effective operation of the parliament. The legislative process this time has damaged the very foundation of Taiwan as a democratic country, and as legal professionals, the Taipei Bar Association expresses deep concern.
On May 17th, the majority camp in the legislature passed the parliamentary powers exercise law, the contempt of parliament offense in the criminal law, the special law with a total amount exceeding NT$2 trillion for the Hualien-Taitung transportation project, without substantive discussions and lacking procedural justice. They vigorously forced through some articles based on their numerical advantage, much to the regret of the Taipei Bar Association.
During the legislative process, the majority camp in the parliament set aside versions proposed by other camps in the committee. Meanwhile, they avoided deliberations on the versions put forth by their camp in the committee, retaining all articles without thorough examination by item. Subsequent negotiations between parties also turned into a mere formality, with none of the legislative procedures being properly scrutinized.
This round of amendments not only involves major constitutional issues such as parliamentary investigative powers, hearing rights, and the President’s national address to the parliament, but it also includes highly controversial transportation infrastructural projects totaling over NT$2 trillion proposed via a special law. However, the review process not only lacked substantive discussions among political parties but also failed to publicize the contents of the bills for public awareness, completely depriving the people of the opportunity to engage in dialogue on significant issues. Furthermore, the voting process in the legislative meeting was conducted using the “show of hands vote,” a method not used in over 30 years as directed by the Legislative Yuan Speaker, leading to chaotic procedural violations.
Parliaments represent the will of the people and carry the expectations of the populace. In the diverse and inclusive Taiwanese society, the true essence of democracy lies in dialogue and deliberation. Democracy is Taiwan’s pride and the belief of its people. The Taipei Bar Association firmly believes in the resilience of Taiwan’s democracy and considers promoting democratic governance as a mission for lawyers. The Taipei Bar Association earnestly hopes that the parliament will fulfill its constitutional duties properly by legislating responsibly.