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DPP likely to propose draft bill on monitoring cross-strait pacts

ROC Central News Agency

2016/03/29 22:18:08

Taipei, March 29 (CNA) The legislative caucus of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will likely put forth its draft bill on the monitoring of agreements between Taiwan and China, according to a decision reached at a meeting of party officials and party members holding public offices Tuesday.

"We will not change the title of the bill, retaining the term 'cross- strait' (to depict the relations between Taiwan and China) while underscoring the effectiveness of monitoring in advance of negotiating with China on signing bilateral agreements," said Shih Ke-he (施克和), deputy executive director of the DPP Policy Committee.

This will be a "moderate" version compared with the previous DPP proposals that used the term "treaties" to implicate Taiwan and China are two separate countries -- a stance that was criticized for not being in accord with the constitution.

The DPP's legislative caucus will put the finishing touches on its latest draft bill on April 1 which, if given a nod, will be officially proposed the following week to the Legislature, Shih said. With the DPP now in control of the Legislature, the bill is likely to clear the legislative floor.

Under the terms of the DPP draft, a government agency seeking to sign a deal with China is required to make its plan to hold talks with China known to a legislative committee, including the theme, the target, the main content, the timetable, initial assessments of the proposed deal on national security, stake holders, and possible influences on stakeholders.

Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃), a DPP caucus whip, said her party's monitoring bill is very comprehensive and well-rounded -- so much so that she said it will be "the strongest-ever bill."

Elaborating on her remarks, Chen said the Executive Yuan is required to report to the Legislative Yuan "the entire framework" of the executive branch's proposed deal with China before negotiations even begin.

Once the negotiators have left the negotiating table in Taipei or have returned to Taipei from China, each provision in the proposed agreement will be deliberated by the lawmakers, who can either express their own views or hold public hearings to gather public opinion, she said.

Public hearings are aimed at increasing citizen participation in the political process during which "all provisions of the proposed cross-strait agreements will be made known to the public, something that has never been done before," she added.

Another feature of her party's proposed bill on monitoring cross- strait pacts is risk assessment to be carried out by the national security authorities and other organizations, according to the DPP caucus whip.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and S.C. Chang)
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