Angry at what it called the Cabinet's arrogance, the KMT legislative caucus yesterday declared Premier Yu Shyi-kun persona non grata and vowed to shut down all future cross-party talks.
The move is intended to retaliate for Yu's refusal to meet with opposition lawmakers who took part in a demonstration Tuesday over health fee hikes.
KMT legislative leader Lee Chuan-chia (
Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets of Taipei Tuesday afternoon to protest the upcoming increase in national health insurance premiums and co-payment rates.
"The Cabinet invited the law-makers inside for a talk and then kept them waiting for 30 minutes," Lee said angrily. "The KMT will not tolerate such humiliating treatment. We will list the premier as persona non grata and withdraw from future cross-party negotiations."
He again urged the Cabinet to postpone the fee hikes until after the legislature reconvenes on Sept. 24, saying the Department of Health earlier promised not to adjust the fees before the end of next year.
Lin Yi-hsiang (
"The gesture is political in nature. If the Cabinet shows goodwill, we will not prevent him from coming to the lawmaking body," he said.
In Oct 2000, the legislature, at the behest of the majority KMT caucus, passed a resolution to give then-premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) the same label, which denied him access to the body.
The impasse lasted until the following February, when the Cabinet agreed to resume construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
"Chances are the government will go ahead and hike the health fees, now that the KMT no longer controls a majority of seats in the legislature," Lin said. "Also, there is not much time to seek a reversal."
The new fee schedule will go into effect next week.
The PFP is also unhappy about the policy change, but said it would not back measures that may stall the legislative process.
PFP legislative leader Shen Chih-hwei (
Shen said she expected a voter revolt in December, after patients realize they have to pay twice as much for medical care.
"That sounds to me a more effective way than declaring Yu persona non grata to punish the DPP administration," she said.
Unfazed by the series of protests, the Cabinet reiterated its support for the fee increases.
Likewise, DPP legislative leader Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) cautioned his opposition counterparts to think twice before engaging in more protest tactics, noting that they may backfire.
Downplaying the KMT legislative caucus' declaration, Yu said that the price hikes are justified.
"The adjustments are not only a major reform but are also being made in accordance with the law, which was legislated before the transfer of power," Cabinet spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢) quoted Yu as saying during a press conference, held after the weekly closed-door Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
Responding to the KMT's plan to shut down negotiation channels in the legislature, Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) said that the government is not in any position to intervene in the matter.
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