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Legislative paralysis upsets Yu

One week after the Legislative Yuan ended its latest session, Premier Yu Shyi-kun expressed his resentment over legislative delays yesterday.

"That the legislature only completed 17 of the 106 bills marked by the Cabinet as a priority to be finalized in the latest session disappointed us," Yu said, adding that the legislation was key to the government's plans for reform and economic revitalization.

Yu made the remarks following a Cabinet meeting on details of the NT$20 billion job creation fund.

The delay in forming a free-trade port zone and the Resolution Trust Corporation may imperil the country's finance stability, Yu said.

The holdup of the trust corporation impairs the promised financial reform by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and weakens the country's ability to lure foreign investment, Yu said.

He doubted that the legislative holdup was the result of society's disagreement with the proposals presented by the Executive Yuan.

"The legislative impasse, generated by repeated confrontations between ruling and opposition lawmakers, caused numerous administrative delays for advancing important construction projects in order to boost the sluggish economy," Yu said.

"The Executive Yuan should make the public understand its frustration over the legislative delays," Yu said, adding that certain parties are blocking bills to promote people's well-being while claiming to put the interests of people first.

Yu also expressed his doubts over legislative efficiency.

"The decreasing number of bills finalized in the three recent legislative sessions -- 136 in the first, 84 in the second and only 31 bills in the just-concluded session -- has forced the Executive Yuan to be pessimistic about the number of bills that can be approved during the upcoming session," he said.

Opposition parties disagreed with Yu's interpretation.

"What the premier did was try to duck the issue of the Cabinet's inability to rule," PFP Legislator Chung Hsiao-ho (潝畿睿) said, adding that he feels Yu's argument defamed the legislature.

KMT legislative whip Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) blamed the DPP for continued economic malaise.

"The previous KMT government attained its goal of maintaining the country's prosperity despite confronting a harsh boycott from the opposition DPP members at that time," Liu said.

Liu encouraged the premier to improve communication with the legislature rather than resort to "insincere criticism."
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