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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》KMT slams passage of overpaid pension recovery bill
Former vice president Lien Chan, center left, attends the funeral of former vice president Li Yuan-tsu in Taipei on March 31. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） leaders yesterday slammed the legislature’s passage of a bill authorizing the government to recover pensions from retirees who added their years working for the KMT to public service seniority, adding they might contest the bill in the administrative courts.
People who made pension claims by combining their years working years for political parties and in public service are to be held responsible for repaying the government the excess claims within one year, when the Act on the Settlement of the Combination of Years of Service in Public Sector and Political Organizations （公職人員年資併社團專職人員年資計發退離給與處理條例） is promulgated.
KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Wei-chou （林為洲） said there was “historical context” at play in allowing civil servants to combine years of KMT work with public service.
“The Democratic Progressive Party’s [DPP] method of dealing with these issues is to invoke transitional justice and party asset reforms. As a minority party, the KMT feels these actions are unfair and crude,” Lin said.
The retirees targeted for pension recovery might want to litigate and it is “possible” that the next KMT chairperson — to be elected on May 20 — would likely file a class-action lawsuit, Lin added.
Among those likely be affected by the new act is former vice president Lien Chan （連戰）, whose office director Ting Yuan-chao （丁遠超） yesterday said that Lien is law abiding and would follow all lawful demands, but he “absolutely rejects any stigmatization or slander” in connection to the pension claim issue.
Those in power should follow the law and keep in mind that they apply not only to objects of their immediate concern, but have unintended and long-lasting consequences, Ting said.
An unnamed staffer of former Examination Yuan president John Kuan （關中） said Kuan did not claim a pension by combining his public and private service.
“At the time, Kuan was ‘on loan’ from National Chengchi University — where he had a lecturer position — to the KMT, and his pension claim is based on a combination of years spent in public service and public education,” the staffer said.
“The act passed today is the product of political manipulation and ideology,” the staffer added.
Despite criticism from KMT heavyweights, the act received applause from most political parties.
DPP caucus secretary-general Lee Chun-yi （李俊俋） said that adding party work to public service seniority for pension claims was unjust and the act authorizing pension recovery is “only the beginning” of transitional justice efforts.
Those who do not pay back the excess pensions as required by the regulation after one year would be subject to litigation or face administrative penalties, Lee said.
DPP spokesman Wang Ming-sheng （王閔生） said the KMT’s practice of using party positions for public pension entitlements was tantamount to embezzlement, and breaches the principles of fairness and justice.
“The DPP’s firm and consistent position is that public resources should not be used for the benefit of KMT party workers,” Wang said, adding the party is proud of its caucus lawmakers in passing the bill.
“We hope the government will expedite the resolution to the issue in accordance with the law and complete transitional justice as soon as possible. Ending past malpractice is our duty to Taiwanese and people’s desire for reform,” he said.
New Power Party （NPP） caucus convener Hsu Yung-ming （徐永明） said he is pleased that the bill cleared the legislature, adding that there is a consensus for transitional justice and the NPP is to continue working with the Presidential Office’s pension reform committee.
People First Party （PFP） caucus convener Lee Hung-chun （李鴻鈞） said the party is in “complete agreement” with the need for pension reform, adding that the DPP caucus’ draft was reasonable.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
Former Examination Yuan president John Kuan attends a meeting in Taipei on Oct. 24 last year. Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
