The TSU and a group of independent lawmakers threatened yesterday to boycott the 2003 budget in protest of the three major legislative caucuses which they said failed to show them due respect during the negotiating process.
Lawmakers from the DPP, KMT and PFP met at Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng's
The TSU, the tiny ally of the ruling DPP, blasted the cross-party consensus as unacceptable, a view that was soon echoed by independents.
"It is not the first time the three caucuses have looked to settle things among themselves without our participation," TSU legislative leader Liao Liao Pen-yen
Total central government expenditure for this year is estimated at NT$1.57 trillion, down NT$1.2 billion from last year. Following an entire day of negotiations, the three main legislative caucuses decided to shrink the amount by NT$21.9 billion.
The Cabinet on Tuesday volunteered to take NT$8.1 billion from its planned spending in a bid to speed up the passage of the budget.
The government also expects to collect NT$1.299 trillion in tax revenues for this year, leaving a deficit of NT$271 billion that will be offset by public bonds and sales of shares in state-run enterprises.
Painting the estimate as overly optimistic, opposition lawmakers have proposed a slash of NT$20 billion in projected income to balance the budget.
The speaker is expected to call on TSU and independent lawmakers today to solicit their support for the multi-partisan agreement.
But Liao said his party will withhold its approval and unveil its own opinions of the budget in a news conference today.
He expressed grave displeasure at the DPP, which has showed tremendous concerns for the two opposition parties and ignored the TSU at odds with the spirit of alliance.
"The ruling party cannot expect the TSU to help defend the government on the one hand and turn a blind eye to ill-conceived policy initiatives on the other," Liao said, referring to the ban on plastic bags and utensils.
The measure will put plastics manufacturers and their employees out of a job and exacerbate the economic downturn, he warned.
Chen Chin-ting
"I find it more advisable to cut the budget by at least NT$100 billion," he told reporters. "There is no way the alliance will accommodate the version hammered out by the three caucuses."
Saying he and fellow independent colleagues have their own opinions on the matter, Chen suggested cross-party talks be held to resolve their differences.
The speaker is slated to host more cross-party negotiations today in a last-ditch attempt to reach common ground on disputed items of the budget.
A vote will be called to break the deadlock if caucuses fail to iron out their disagreements.
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