Taiwan ruling party waves white flag on parliament brawls

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Parliamentary punch-ups in Taiwan have led to a loss of face, the island's ruling political party has conceded.

Warring factions of parliament have put Taiwan on the global news map, with brawls at times involving up to 50 people jumping onto tables and hurling shoes, microphones and punches, causing minor injuries.

But the Democratic Progressive Party, blamed for starting many of the fights when the opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) majority would not budge on an issue, is calling a ceasefire for its legislative contingent, the party whip said this week.

"The brawls are worse and worse for Taiwan's image," Ker Chien-ming told Reuters ahead of a legislative session that opens next week. "We will avoid conflicts."

A ceasefire would end a 20-year Taiwan tradition.

The DPP's white flag comes just a month after it suffered a legislative election defeat so bad Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian publicly apologised and resigned as party chairman.

Some voters said they rejected the independence-leaning DPP, outlawed for much of its history until Taiwan became more democratic in the 1980s, because of its fighting ways.

"It's impossible to fight now because our numbers in parliament are so small," Ker said.

As legislators have said the most sensational fights are planned for the media rather than erupting spontaneously, whips can stop them simply by ordering legislators to stay seated.

When contentious bills come up for discussion this year, legislators will be pressured to consult in private to head off any fights, said media-conscious parliament speaker and KMT legislator Wang Jin-Pyng, who was blocked from his podium during brawls last year.