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Miss Marsden 7 Маоствёртый
Mr Wo
TAIWAN: RESEARCH DEPARTMENT NOTE NO 1/1989 (JANUARY)
Summary
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The
Controversial bills on the reform of the political systen were pushed through by the government in the face of sustained, and sometimes violent, opposition dissent. bills provide for the eventual resignation of at least some of the extremely elderly representatives elected on the mainland in 1947 and for the eventual legalisation of the opposition parties. The establishment of formal diplomatic relations with the Bahamas was announced as were plans for rapidly increasing the number of commercial offices overseas and developing further trade relations with Eastern Europe. A non-official fisheries agreement was signed with Vietnam. In Taiwan, the French announced a change of the title of one of their offices to that of the French Institute on Taiwan. The similarity of name to the AIT certainly pleased the Taiwan authorities.
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Domestic:
Political
1. Amid of howls of protest (literally) from opposition nembers and flying chairs in the Legislative Yuan, the Kuomintang's bill providing for the voluntary retirement of aged Legislators (with extremely generous golden handshakes of Taiwan $3.7 million, or around $140,000) passed through its remaining stages in the course of January. The opposition further indicated its displeasure with demonstrations on 16 and 20 January outside the Legislative Yuan and a parade of about 6,000 people through the streets of Taibei on 29 January. At present those elected on Taiwan account for only 73 of the 298 seats in the Legislative Yuan and 106 of the 894 seats in the National Assembly (a body which elects the President). Not surprisingly, the opposition parties feel that there should be considerably more. As a result of their researches, the DPP have come to the conclusion that at least 409 of the present National Assembly Members were elected illegally (there is undoubtedly some truth in this).
2. The Civic Organisation Law had a slightly easier passage following an agreement between the DPP and the KMT on its essentials. It was promulgated on 27 January. It allows for the registration and legalisation of Taiwan's political parties. Since the end of Martial Law at least 18 new political parties have been established, of which the best known is the DPP. Previously only the KMT and 2 moribund groups (the Young China Party and the China Democratic
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