Legislators pass amendment to effectively remove NCC acting head

Taipei, Nov. 16 (CNA) Legislators passed an amendment to the National Communications Commission (NCC) Organization Act on Friday, setting a clear implementation date for the removal of NCC acting head Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗), who has served beyond his originally mandated term.

Under the amendment, which was spearheaded by opposition lawmakers from the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, Wong is now required to step down on Dec. 1, 2024.

His departure will leave the seven-member commission with only three members, and with a quorum of four members required for the NCC to function its operations will be effectively paralyzed.

The amendment passed on Friday reinforced previous revisions passed in July and early November, which limited NCC members to a maximum of two terms and eliminated provisions for term extensions or re-appointments.

However, although the earlier amendments barred Wong, an NCC commissioner since 2014, from serving another term, the absence of an implementation date created a loophole around personnel appointments the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government utilized, according to opposition lawmakers.

On July 30, the Executive Yuan appointed then-NCC deputy head Wong as acting chairman to ensure the commission could continue operating with four members after Wong's and three other commissioners' terms expired on July 31.

This move prompted opposition criticism, accusing the government of exploiting loopholes to avoid observing the substance of the new laws.

Opposition lawmakers described the passing of the amendment on Friday as "self-inflicted," stating that the government's actions forced them to include clear implementation dates in future legal amendments.

In response, Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤), the caucus whip of the DPP, acknowledged the legislative outcome but urged the opposition to end their boycott of the government's nominations to the NCC, proposed on April 30, to ensure it can continue to operate.