Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

New Power Party Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang reacts at a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday after an announcement that his party’s motion would not be considered.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Procedural moves by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to push through controversial amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) have betrayed promises for congressional reform, New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said yesterday.

The people of Taiwan have voted in six direct presidential elections since 1996, electing presidents of the Republic of China (ROC). Since the constitutional area of the ROC used to include all of China, a president was only legitimate in the past if they were elected by representatives of the entire Chinese population.

Those who were opposed to direct presidential elections at that time, such as former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), were worried that the ROC — which is so closely intertwined with their destinies — would change substantially and become a political entity that only included Taiwan’s territory. As a result, they accused those who supported direct presidential elections of being traitors, who were persecuted and punished.