Tuesday, July 09, 2013

DPP warns KMT on service pact

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Things would get “bloody” if the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus insists on voting on the controversial service trade agreement between Taiwan and China as a package rather than clause-by-clause in the upcoming extra legislative session, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus said yesterday.

Led by caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), DPP lawmakers warned their KMT counterparts against putting the service trade pact to a vote in the extra session, scheduled to begin on July 29, as a package, which they said would go against public opinion that the pact be reviewed and voted clause-by-clause.

“If they insist on a package vote, I guarantee you there would be physical confrontation because we will not give an inch on our position. It would definitely be bloody,” Ker said.

Ker also threatened to withdraw from all party negotiations.

In the face of public outrage and concern over the pact, which would open dozens of service sectors to Chinese investment, the Legislative Yuan passed a resolution during its first extra session to monitor and vote on the agreement clause-by-clause.

However, the Executive Yuan has argued that the move, especially if the content of the pact is altered, would violate international practices and jeopardize Taiwan’s credibility.

Rejecting the administration’s claims, Ker cited changes made to the copyright agreement in 1993 and the mutual legal assistance agreement in 2002 between Taiwan and the US as examples. He added that the DPP wanted the government to re-negotiate the pact with Beijing.

DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) accused the Executive Yuan of disrespecting the legislature for saying that it would send the agreement to the legislature “for reference,” not for review.

Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡), chief secretary of the DPP caucus, said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should be held accountable for his unconstitutional act of “kidnapping the Executive Yuan and intimidating the legislature.”

“Last I checked, Taiwan was still a constitutional republic, not a monarchy,” Wu said.