Taiwan opposition rallies on food safety; ruling party urges legislative cooperation

The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) gathered at Ketagalan Boulevard for a rally, urging President Lai Ching-te to apologize and Premier Cho Jung-tai to step down amid concerns over food safety. The protest, which saw participation from several KMT county magistrates and TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, focused on issues related to food safety regulations and government accountability.

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Food safety knows no blue or green. Ensuring people eat safely is the government's and the ruling and opposition parties' shared responsibility.

In response, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus stated that it respects the public's right to express opinions on food safety, emphasizing that it is a non-partisan issue and a shared responsibility between the government and all political parties. DPP caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung noted that the executive branch has already submitted a draft amendment to the Food Safety Act to the legislature, and the DPP is prepared to prioritize its review and passage. "We can immediately review and amend the law, no need to wait until people take to the streets to call for amendments," Chuang stated.

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Premier Han said he wants to immediately promote the amendment of the 'Food Safety Act.' The DPP fully supports it, and the Executive Yuan has already submitted a draft amendment for the Legislative Yuan to review. The DPP caucus has repeatedly expressed its willingness to list the 'Food Safety Act' as the top priority bill, allowing the ruling and opposition parties to review and amend it immediately, without needing to wait until people take to the streets to call for amendments.

Chuang refuted claims that the government is shirking responsibility, explaining that the current incident involves a clear division of labor according to the law. Local authorities are responsible for frontline inspections, recalls, and tracing product origins, while the central government handles risk assessments, cross-county coordination, information disclosure, and systemic reforms. He stressed that this is not about shifting blame but adhering to the established responsibilities outlined in the Food Safety and Sanitation Act.

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This is not shirking responsibility, but the division of responsibilities originally stipulated by the Food Safety and Sanitation Act.

The DPP urged the opposition to engage constructively in legislative reform rather than politicizing the issue. "If the KMT truly puts food safety first, we welcome sitting down together to amend the law, instead of shouting for amendments while politicizing them," Chuang said. He added that the public expects a more robust food safety management system, not "more political performances."

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What should be discussed is not who has the more brilliant metaphor, but how to prevent the next food safety incident from happening again.