Lawmakers reject all 4 NCC nominees; commission unable to make policy

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) The Legislative Yuan on Friday voted down all four nominees to the National Communications Commission (NCC), leaving the independent media regulator under the Cabinet with only three commissioners and unable to make regulatory policy.

Each of the four nominees received 50 votes in favor and 60 against, falling short of the required 57 votes for confirmation, according to the voting results.

The nominees -- Chiang Jung-hsien (蔣榮先), Cherng Ming-shiou (程明修), Huang Wei-wei (黃葳威), and Lo Huei-wen (羅慧雯) -- were all proposed by the Cabinet in July.

According to the Executive Yuan, they were selected for their expertise in information technology, law and communications, with Chiang and Cherng designated to serve as NCC chairperson and vice chairperson, respectively.

Chiang is a professor at National Cheng Kung University's Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, while Cherng is a law professor at Soochow University specializing in economic administrative law, regulatory theory, constitutional litigation and information rights.

The two other female nominees -- Huang and Lo -- currently teach at National Chengchi University and Shih Hsin University, respectively.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus expressed full support for all four nominees and urged opposition parties to vote in favor. However, both the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) decided to reject all the candidates after internal discussions earlier in the day.

Under Taiwan's law, confirmation of government appointments requires approval by more than half of all lawmakers.

The NCC originally had seven commissioners, but the terms of four members expired on July 31, 2024. Since then, only three commissioners -- acting chairperson Chen Chung-shu (陳崇樹), Wang Cheng-chia (王正嘉), and Wang Yi-hui (王怡惠) -- remain in office.

Following the failed confirmation vote, the NCC remains unable to make regulatory policy, without a quorum of four members.

The NCC said that with only three commissioners currently in office, it is only able to convene advisory meetings and unable to hold formal commission sessions.

DPP caucus whip Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) expressed regret over the outcome, accusing the KMT and TPP of obstructing the nominations for political reasons rather than professional considerations.

However, the opposition parties cited concerns over professionalism and political bias. TPP caucus convener Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said that during the confirmation review, the NCC nominees were found to lack the necessary competence for the positions to which they were nominated.

KMT caucus whip Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) echoed the criticism, saying his party had also unanimously voted to reject the nominees, citing past instances of the NCC "abusing its authority."

Lo said the KMT would prioritize amending laws to make the NCC a truly professional and independent body. He added that if the DPP respects the new political landscape, it should allow opposition parties to recommend candidates and jointly select suitable appointees.