psycho-
10-14-2002, 01:06 AM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021011/ap_wo_en_po/taiwan_wacky_politics_2
Taiwan's wacky and wicked lawmakers turn young democracy's legislature into a circus
Fri Oct 11, 1:01 AM ET
By WILLIAM IDE, Associated Press Writer
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's legislature used to be an arena for fistfights, hair-pulling matches and microphone-chucking contests between legislators who were learning how to behave in a new democracy.
The era of fisticuffs is largely over. But the antics of a few lawmakers still taints the Parliament's reputation and distracts it from its real work of passing legislation to kickstart Taiwan's slumping economy.
The latest drama came earlier this month when a lawmaker who was released from prison pending an appeal of a corruption conviction was picked to head an influential economics committee.
Facing pressure from legislators, independent lawmaker Yen Ching-piao agreed to step down from the post, but told critics that the public would eventually "see what the truth is."
His selection was just the latest twist to an already bizarre political career.
Yen was sentenced to 11 years and six months for allegedly using public funds to wine and dine friends at luxurious hostess bars. He also was charged for illegally possessing firearms. But Taiwanese law allows him to sit in Parliament until his appeal has been resolved.
Yen's not the only lawmaker whose behavior has raised eyebrows. Another one frequently in the news for her exploits is Yu Yueh-hsia of the opposition Nationalist Party.
She was recently rated as one of the worst legislators by a survey of political reporters conducted by the Taipei Society, a private government watchdog group.
Known for her crude language and her teary, emotional outbursts, the middle-aged divorcee has been featured in advertisements for various products, including a drug touted as Viagra for women.
During a recent defense committee meeting, Yu garnered all the attention by raising her shirt in what she said was a response to requests from reporters to show how much weight she'd lost. Her stunt later appeared to be a promotion for a local weight loss center.
Yu said that all she's doing is voicing the concerns of her constituents. "I may be more direct than others, but I don't have any ulterior motives," she said.
But according to Chiu Hei-yuan, who heads Taipei Society's legislature watch committee, "lawmakers do anything to get public attention, which eventually may help them get votes."
In Chiu's view, "Taiwan's parliament is kind of like a legislature, but not really."
When it comes to sex and extra-martial affairs, some lawmakers keep the island's media working overtime.
While the legislature was in its summer recess, a ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker, Cheng Yu-cheng, ran off to the United States with his aide and mistress.
The two got married in Las Vegas before Cheng had officially filed for divorce from his wife in Taiwan.
His mistress — former soap opera actress Wang Hsiao-chan — has been in the media spotlight before. Two years ago, she made headlines for having an affair with John Chang, a high-ranking official with the Nationalist Party and the son of former President Chiang Ching-kuo.
Cable TV news gave her latest escapade extensive coverage, including a live news conference from Los Angeles, where the two professed that they were madly in love.
Such incidents show just how unqualified some Taiwanese lawmakers are, said Chin Heng-wei, editor-in-chief at Contemporary Monthly — which critiques social and political news. They highlight a big flaw in the electoral system.
Most voting districts allow a long list of politicians to get elected, and sometimes it only takes 4 percent of the vote to win a seat, Chin said. "That's why so many people are unfit for the post," Chin said.
However, the island is still adjusting to its dramatic shift to democracy after nearly four decades of authoritarian rule, said Chen Yi-shen, a modern history professor at Academia Sinica — the island's top state-sponsored institute.
Martial law ended in 1987, and Taiwan held its first direct presidential elections in 1996.
"We're getting there step by step. There's still hope in the long run," Chen said.
Taiwan's wacky and wicked lawmakers turn young democracy's legislature into a circus
Fri Oct 11, 1:01 AM ET
By WILLIAM IDE, Associated Press Writer
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's legislature used to be an arena for fistfights, hair-pulling matches and microphone-chucking contests between legislators who were learning how to behave in a new democracy.
The era of fisticuffs is largely over. But the antics of a few lawmakers still taints the Parliament's reputation and distracts it from its real work of passing legislation to kickstart Taiwan's slumping economy.
The latest drama came earlier this month when a lawmaker who was released from prison pending an appeal of a corruption conviction was picked to head an influential economics committee.
Facing pressure from legislators, independent lawmaker Yen Ching-piao agreed to step down from the post, but told critics that the public would eventually "see what the truth is."
His selection was just the latest twist to an already bizarre political career.
Yen was sentenced to 11 years and six months for allegedly using public funds to wine and dine friends at luxurious hostess bars. He also was charged for illegally possessing firearms. But Taiwanese law allows him to sit in Parliament until his appeal has been resolved.
Yen's not the only lawmaker whose behavior has raised eyebrows. Another one frequently in the news for her exploits is Yu Yueh-hsia of the opposition Nationalist Party.
She was recently rated as one of the worst legislators by a survey of political reporters conducted by the Taipei Society, a private government watchdog group.
Known for her crude language and her teary, emotional outbursts, the middle-aged divorcee has been featured in advertisements for various products, including a drug touted as Viagra for women.
During a recent defense committee meeting, Yu garnered all the attention by raising her shirt in what she said was a response to requests from reporters to show how much weight she'd lost. Her stunt later appeared to be a promotion for a local weight loss center.
Yu said that all she's doing is voicing the concerns of her constituents. "I may be more direct than others, but I don't have any ulterior motives," she said.
But according to Chiu Hei-yuan, who heads Taipei Society's legislature watch committee, "lawmakers do anything to get public attention, which eventually may help them get votes."
In Chiu's view, "Taiwan's parliament is kind of like a legislature, but not really."
When it comes to sex and extra-martial affairs, some lawmakers keep the island's media working overtime.
While the legislature was in its summer recess, a ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker, Cheng Yu-cheng, ran off to the United States with his aide and mistress.
The two got married in Las Vegas before Cheng had officially filed for divorce from his wife in Taiwan.
His mistress — former soap opera actress Wang Hsiao-chan — has been in the media spotlight before. Two years ago, she made headlines for having an affair with John Chang, a high-ranking official with the Nationalist Party and the son of former President Chiang Ching-kuo.
Cable TV news gave her latest escapade extensive coverage, including a live news conference from Los Angeles, where the two professed that they were madly in love.
Such incidents show just how unqualified some Taiwanese lawmakers are, said Chin Heng-wei, editor-in-chief at Contemporary Monthly — which critiques social and political news. They highlight a big flaw in the electoral system.
Most voting districts allow a long list of politicians to get elected, and sometimes it only takes 4 percent of the vote to win a seat, Chin said. "That's why so many people are unfit for the post," Chin said.
However, the island is still adjusting to its dramatic shift to democracy after nearly four decades of authoritarian rule, said Chen Yi-shen, a modern history professor at Academia Sinica — the island's top state-sponsored institute.
Martial law ended in 1987, and Taiwan held its first direct presidential elections in 1996.
"We're getting there step by step. There's still hope in the long run," Chen said.