Melee Opens Taiwan Assembly Session : Politics: Screaming and kicking punctuated the swearing-in of delegates, many of whom are elderly.

Taiwan legislators kicked, punched and screamed their way into a new session today as the opposition stepped up demands for the resignation of aging members.

Opposition legislators fought with delegates appointed to represent overseas Chinese communities, attempting to keep them from attending a swearing-in ceremony.

The ceremony began while the legislators were still screaming and fighting.

An aide to one of the overseas Chinese representatives yelled at protesters: “If I were in America now, I’d take my gun and shoot all of you.”

During the singing of the national anthem, opposition member Wu Yung-hsiung leaped onto the podium and started screaming abuse at the overseas Chinese delegates.

Even after he was dragged down, Wu, wearing a bright orange costume festooned with slogans, continued to scream as legislators raised their arms to be sworn in.

Only 101 members of the legislature were selected on Taiwan.

The majority--162--represent the seats they were first elected to in China before the ruling Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan from the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949.

An additional 29 representatives are appointed to represent overseas Chinese.

Chaos was also the dominant theme during registration for the National Assembly, a separate body which next month elects Taiwan’s president and vice president.

Opposition politicians forcibly tried to keep the members--in their 80s and 90s--who dominate the assembly from signing in, pushing at least one old man to the ground and grabbing pens from members’ hands.

“Don’t touch me; my health is bad,” one old assemblyman screamed. “If I die you must answer for my murder.”

Some relatives escorting the assemblymen pleaded with protesters to leave the old people alone. “They have high blood pressure; you can’t do this to them,” one woman said.

The opposition politicians were unmoved.

“We want all the people to see how ridiculous our National Assembly is,” said Hung Chi-chang, an opposition legislator.