TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Legislative Yuan has rejected four nominees for the National Communications Commission, which is charged with overseeing the telecom and broadcasting industries.

KMT and TPP legislators rejected all four nominees on Friday, with 60 votes against appointments versus 50 votes in favor, reported UDN. Last year, the KMT made amendments to the law governing the NCC to prohibit commissioners from remaining in office for more than a single term of four years.

The four nominees denied appointment by the KMT-led legislature were; Chiang Jung-hsien (蔣榮先), a professor at National Cheng Kung University; Cheng Ming-hsiu (程明修), a professor at Soochow University; Huang Wei-wei (黃葳威) of National Chengchi University; and Lo Hui-wen (羅慧雯), an assistant professor at Shih Hsin University.

The KMT legislative caucus Secretary-General Lo Chih-chaing (羅智強) said the NCC has a history of abusing its power. Lo said that restructuring the commission should take priority over making new commissioner appointments.

TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said all of the nominees put forward by the government were unqualified. He criticized Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and said he was treating the NCC as a patronage agency for the DPP. 

The caucus whip of the DPP, Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) accused the KMT and TPP of obstruction and said appointments should be considered without political partisanship. 

The current acting NCC Chair Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) will leave his position on Dec. 1 and is ineligible for reappointment. His departure will leave only three commissioners remaining at the NCC, per UDN.

Without a full slate of seven commissioners, the NCC will be unable to reach quorum. This makes it unable to approve new broadcasting licenses, or reapprove existing ones.