Legislature likely to tackle ECFA again in August

Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng and caucus whips from the ruling Kuomintang(KMT) and opposition Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) met Wednesday to discuss the possibility of holding a second extra session during the Legislature's summer recess to tackle the trade pact.

According to people at Wednesday's meeting, the extra session might be convened on Aug. 16, though it was not clear for how long.

"If no common ground is reached during the extra session, lawmakers could call a vote to force the passage of the ECFA and other draft amendments," one source said.

The KMT controls a clear majority in the 113-member body and would have the votes to push the ECFA through if such a vote were called.

The first extra legislative session on the controversial trade agreement held during the Legislature's summer break took place from July 8-14, but the DPP boycotted most of it, unhappy that the pact was not being reviewed line by line.

Ker Chien-ming, a DPP legislative whip, reiterated the party's objection to the ECFA and stressed that it will make its stance even clearer during the extra session in August.

Before then, DPP lawmakers have been engaged in consolidating grassroots support for the party over the issue by sponsoring forums in its rural strongholds to explain why it opposes the agreement, according to Ker.

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