Thirty-four high-ranking military officers from Central and South America visited the Control Yuan on the afternoon of October 8, 2019. During their visit, they engaged in a friendly discussion with CY President Chang Po-ya, Secretary General Fu Meng-rong and Deputy Secretary-General Liu Wen-shih, exchanging views on issues related to the CY’s powers and functions under the five-power constitutional system.
President Chang first welcomed the visitors from 8 countries in Latin America and briefed them on the five-power system and CY’s responsibilities as well as performance. She mentioned that the CY received over 16,000 complaints last year and impeached a total of 36 individuals found guilty of violations of the law or neglect of duty, including 15 judicial and military officers, which effectively urging government agencies to make improvements, redress grievances and promote good governance.
President Chang also introduced the operation of the “Sunshine Acts,” including the requirements that property-declaration by public servants and political donations to political parties and candidates must be reported to the CY, which are aimed at preventing corruption through an open and transparent system. Under the Acts, high-ranking officials, including the head of state, the presidents of the five Yuans and legislators, shall report their assets to the CY, and the information shall be published online and in government periodicals.
President Chang pointed out that the CY places importance on exchanges and cooperation with international ombudsman institutions. By attending the conferences of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) and the Iberoamerican Federation of Ombudsman (FIO), the CY has maintained friendly relations with ombudsman institutions around the world. Many countries in Latin America have set up independent bodies to safeguard human rights and monitor government to ensure good governance, such as Defensorías del Pueblo, human rights prosecutor’s offices, and national human rights commissions. The CY also signed cooperative agreements and memorandums of understanding with several countries, as well as engaged in experience-sharing on government supervision and human rights protection.
During the discussion, the visitors praised the five-power system of government under the R.O.C. Constitution and asked a wide range of questions, including regarding what difficulties and challenges CY members might encounter in carrying out their duties, whether CY members are supervised, whether members belong to any political parties, and what methods are used to rehabilitate the reputations of public servants who have been investigated and found not to have committed any violations. Ms. Lesbia, Director of Justice of Honduras’ Armed Force, the only female member of the delegation, expressed appreciation to CY President Chang on behalf of her country, saying she benefited a lot from the visit and will share what she has learned with the relevant government agencies when she returns to Honduras.
President Chang answered all the questions in detail, providing the visitors with greater insights into the CY’s operations. At the end of the visit, President Chang expressed the hope of enhancing exchanges between the CY and the aforementioned institutions of the visitors’ respective countries, and also wished the visitors a pleasant stay in Taiwan.