Leaders of all legislative caucuses agreed yesterday to call a one-month break in November, allowing members to concentrate on their campaigning in order to seek re-election in December.
Caucus leaders, preparing for next month's opening of the legislature, met for pre-session talks yesterday. Members decided to put a temporary halt to the fall session from Nov. 1 until election day on Dec. 1.
"Lawmakers up for re-election hit the campaign trail long ago, and few have the time and energy to review bills," said New Party lawmaker Cheng Long-shui (鄭龍水).
The three-year term of legislators expires early next year.
It is therefore inevitable that scrutiny of next year's budget will be split into two stages.
First, between Sept. 18 and the end of October, committees will review and question Cabinet agencies.
Then, after the legislature reconvenes on Dec. 2, the full legislature will take up the issue.
Normally, the fall session starts in September and ends the following January.
In addition, the caucuses agreed to begin considering the appointment of a new auditor-general on Sept. 19 and to cast a secret vote on the matter on Sept. 25.
The auditor general is the Control Yuan's fiscal watchdog, whose task it is to monitor Cabinet agencies to make sure they correctly implement the budget.
The auditor general also has the power to bring impeachment charges against Cabinet officers for failing in their duties.
The auditor general is appointed by the president for a six-year term.
The power to approve the appointment of auditor-general, formerly residing with the National Assembly, was shifted to the legislature after a Constitutional amendment last year reduced the assembly to an irregular body.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft