《TAIPEI TIMES》 DPP lawmakers slam KMT campaign against heads of health authorities

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） is colluding with outside forces to harm the nation’s health authorities, as it is filing a lawsuit against the adoption of a domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） lawmakers said yesterday.

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“We urge KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang （江啟臣） to drop the lawsuit, which is based on ridiculous reasons and groundless claims. We ask the KMT to stop abusing the resources of the judicial system,” DPP legislative caucus whip Liu Shyh-fang （劉世芳） said.

KMT officials led by Chiang and lawmakers on Tuesday filed the lawsuit at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, accusing Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中） and Food and Drug Administration （FDA） Director Wu Shou-mei （吳秀梅） of granting emergency use authorization for the Medigen COVID-19 vaccine without adhering to standard procedure and to obtain personal financial gain.

DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng （鄭運鵬） said that the KMT has vilified Taiwan’s vaccine development efforts.

“The KMT is doing this to open the door to the Chinese-controlled distribution of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine,” he said, refering to Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, the German drugmaker’s distributor for Taiwan and China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

“KMT officials are conspiring with the Chinese government to create political dispute ... during this uncertain time” when the nation should focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19, Cheng added.

DPP Legislator Huang Shih-chieh （黃世杰） said that the FDA in May set conditions for vaccine emergency use authorization.

“The FDA has carried out the procedure based on international standards supported by the scientific community. The Medigen vaccine was granted conditional approval based on reviews by medical experts. There is no evidence of manipulation,” he said, adding that the process was transparent.

“The KMT’s claim that there was illegal profiteering is ridiculous,” he said.

The KMT is colluding with outside forces, with the apparent aim of bringing down the leaders of the FDA and the Central Epidemic Command Center, the two most crucial agencies in the nation’s disease prevention efforts, DPP legislative caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-cheng （羅致政） said.

“The KMT aims to create dispute, demoralize frontline medical workers and hamper Taiwan’s diligent efforts to bring the local infection situation under control,” Lo said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES