Parties gear up for vote on funding

The DPP and KMT stepped up their efforts to sway public opinion yesterday ahead of a key vote on Tuesday that could overturn legal amendments expanding local government funding.

The KMT, whose unity has been called into question, held activities to defend the amendments. The party urged the Cabinet to withdraw a veto motion it submitted to overturn the amendments.

However, the DPP's legislative caucus challenged its KMT counterpart, urging the KMT to refrain from taking disciplinary measures against lawmakers who failed to toe the party line.

The other main opposition party, the PFP, said it would not reach a decision on the veto motion until a caucus meeting on Monday, although many of its 45 legislators have said they will vote against the veto motion.

At issue is a legal overhaul the legislature adopted during a marathon session on Jan. 17 that would give local governments a bigger share of tax revenues. The Cabinet has refused to carry out the policy on the grounds it will squeeze spending on other programs already approved by the lawmaking body.

On Feb. 6, Premier Yu Shyi-kun proposed the veto motion, on which the legislature must act within two weeks, otherwise the revision will become invalid. An absolute majority is needed to defeat the motion.

KMT Legislative Whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) said his party had no choice but take up the gauntlet in the face of what he called DPP provocation.

"I find the whole controversy ridiculous," Lin told reporters in the legislature. "If the DPP considers the revision difficult to execute, it should seek to address the matter through legal amendment to avoid a partisan showdown."

The KMT has sought to peg the upcoming vote as a partisan duel, accusing the government of seeking to undercut the political stature of Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) by denying him necessary funding. The revision, the brainchild of Ma and his aides, will ensure the capital city a fixed portion of funding.

Lin said he was confident the opposition camp would quash the veto motion, saying that the KMT's morale had been lifted by its victory in the election of legislative vice speaker on Feb. 1. He refused to comment on whether the party would punish defiant members, saying it is up to the caucus meeting on Monday evening to decide.

KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) said the party had issued a top mobilization order asking lawmakers to attend the vote on Tuesday.

By contrast, the DPP is taking an apolitical approach and is urging other parties to do the same.

DPP Legislative Whip Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said his party would respect the free will of individual members on the matter and suggested the KMT should do the same.

"If the revision as so good as the KMT has argued, the party should not fear the veto motion," Tsai said.