Legislature blocks two FTC nominees, confirms two others

Taipei, Jan. 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Legislative Yuan confirmed on Friday two Fair Trade Commission (FTC) nominees but rejected two others, including the body's incumbent chairperson.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government nominated FTC Chairperson Lee May (李鎂), Vice Chairman Chen Chih-min (陳志民) and commissioner Hong Tsai-lung (洪財隆) on Oct. 30, 2024, to continue in their positions after their terms ended on Jan. 31, 2025.

Lin Ching-tang (林慶堂), the incumbent head of the FTC's Department of Service Industry Competition, was also nominated as a new commissioner the same day.

Lawmakers with the DPP and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) as well as two independents voted unanimously Friday to confirm Chen and Lin to serve four-year terms as commissioners from Feb. 1, 2025 to Jan. 31, 2029.

Lee and Hong, however, were rejected by lawmakers from the two opposition parties, who together form a majority in the legislative body.

Before the vote, TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said his party would reject Hong because of his actions related to the commission's consideration of PX Mart's acquisition of RT-Mart.

Huang said Hong demanded that PX Mart donate NT$300 million (US$9.11 million) to sports and chess events as a precondition for approving PX Mart's acquisition bid during the review meeting, which Huang said should have focused on consumer rights.

Huang said the party also rejected Lee because she stood by and watched Hong make the demands without stopping him.

As a result, Lee got 52 votes from DPP lawmakers and Chen Chao-ming (陳超明), an independent usually ideologically aligned with the KMT, while the remainder of lawmakers cast opposing votes.

Similarly, Hong was rejected with 51 votes in support from DPP members and 62 opposing votes from KMT (52) and TPP lawmakers (8) and two independents.