Ractopamine Pork: DPP Wins Legislative Battle, KMT to Challenge By Recall and Referendum

China Times, December 25, 2020

Four months after President Tsai Ing-wen’s sudden announcement to ease import restrictions on U.S. pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle over 30 months old, the Legislative Yuan passed all 9 executive orders to allow such imports on Christmas Eve with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) majority in the Legislative Yuan. As a result, beginning from January 1, 2021, American pork containing ractopamine including viscera will be allowed to enter Taiwan market “legally” and can end up on the dinner table of Taiwanese people.

Immediately after President Tsai’s aforementioned announcement on August 28, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Council of Agriculture submitted nine executive orders opening such imports to the Legislative Yuan for approval, setting off a food safety storm.

Due to the fact that the DPP occupies the parliamentary majority, the opening of such import seemed inevitable, the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and the New Power Party (NPP) had no choice but to counter the import from proposing amendments to the School Health Act and Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation in order to stop the pork containing ractopamine from entering schools, social welfare, medical, military and police organizations. These amendments are also aimed to force the government and the importers to have tighter control of the food supply chain and properly label the pork products containing ractopamine, so the consumers can have final say whether to buy such a product or not.

The voting lasted whole day in the Legislative Yuan yesterday (December 24). The DPP held their ground by rejecting all amendments to the Schools Health Act and even introduced a motion to uphold the current version without amendment. Subsequently, all amendments to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation suffered the same fate and were rejected by the DPP one after another.

The nine executive orders including one to ease “the standards of residue levels of animal feed additives” and another to adjust “the imported beef quarantine and examination operation procedures” were all passed according to the DPP plan. The American pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle over 30 months old were all given green light to import next year.

Despite the instructions from the president, the Executive Yuan and the Party to hold the official line, DPP legislators Lin Shu-fen, Liu Chien-kuo and Chiang Yung-chang chose to abstain consecutively. Premier Su Tseng-chang warmed them to follow the ruling party’s position. The party whip Ker Chien-ming even threatened to “discipline” any breakaway members. However, Lin Shu-fen went public to say that she was willing to accept any punishment.

Although three DPP legislators casted conscience vote, the DPP position still prevailed. During the debate, DPP legislators exchanged harsh words with the Pan-Blue legislators. The DPP’s accusing the KMT of inconsistent standards was derided by opposition legislators since the DPP was previously against the import. Outside of the Legislative Yuan, roadblocks and barricades were put up to prevent protesters from entry. Yet television screens were set up to monitor the parliamentary debate and voting. As amendments to better food safety measures were rejected repeatedly, the mood of the protesters went from anger to despair. Finally, there was a total silence. Faced with this defeat, the KMT made another attempt to prolong the fight by proposing a referendum on import of pork containing ractopamine. The goal is to have a referendum to end the import by August 2021. Former Legislator Shen Chih-hui and Taipei City Councilman Lo Chih-chiang, Director of KMT’s Institute of Revolutionary Practice have both vowed to start collecting signatures in order to recall legislators voted in favor of the import.

KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang, together with the KMT caucus of the Legislative Yuan, bowed and offered apology for not being able to block the import of pork containing ractopamine. Johnny Chiang said the DPP is treating public opinion like plastic waste and the representative democracy is failing, the only remaining option is direct democracy by referendum. Legislator Lin Wei-chou, the KMT legislative whip, said the second wave of signature collection will start from January 6, 2021 for 50 days and the goal is to collect 500,000 signatures to use the power of the people to defend food safety.

Psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo, who was recently summoned to the police station for questioning for his criticism of the import of pork containing ractopamine, denounced the DPP government for ignoring the public outcry for food safety and said “we are forced to fight against such arbitrary decision and to demonstrate the true will of the people.” He is amassing a group of protesters to go to Ketagalan Boulevard on New Year’s Eve to “initiate a war against the import of pork containing ractopamine.”

The parliamentary brawl lasted nearly 12 hours and finally ended around 9:30 PM last evening (December 24). Out of the 129 attached resolutions of amendments, only 19 submitted by the DPP and the NPP were passed, such as the border examination rate for pork and related products should be no less than 10 percent in three years, all the rest submitted by opposition parties were rejected.

From: https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20201225000558-260102?chdtv
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