Members of the legislative SARS-prevention and relief committee yesterday petitioned the Control Yuan to censure the Executive Yuan, saying that the Cabinet avoided the committee's supervision over the NT$50 billion SARS-prevention and relief fund by refusing to attend the committee's meetings.
Citing the Constitution and legislative regulations, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that there is nothing wrong with high-ranking Cabinet officials' refusal to attend such committee meetings.
"It's an established tradition that high-ranking Cabinet officials don't attend legislative committee meetings during the summer session," he said.
PHOTO: CNA
"It's also acceptable for them to be absent from legislative committee meetings when such committees are set up under a legislative resolution, which is the case of the legislative SARS prevention and relief committee," Lin said.
PFP Legislator Lee Yung-ping (李永萍), KMT legislators Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) and Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) protested outside the Executive Yuan compound yesterday morning before proceeding to the Control Yuan to request that the government watchdog agency punish the executive branch.
Lee Chia-chin said that the purpose of their visit was to protest the Cabinet's avoiding the supervision of the legislature over the NT$50 billion SARS prevention and relief fund.
"We're denouncing the irresponsible behavior of those senior Cabinet officials who refused to attend the committee meetings," he said.
"I cannot think of any other reason to justify their behavior but that they have something to hide from us," he said.
Lee Yung-ping accused the Cabinet of wrongly earmarking NT$1.2 billion to provide food for the 100,000 people put under compulsory home quarantine.
In response, Lin said that the NT$1.2 billion covered not only the lunch expenses for people put under compulsory home quarantine but also those delivering the lunch boxes, those paying visits to those under domestic confinement and supplies such as stationery.
"Besides, the money was allocated to local governments, which then apportioned the funds to those in need," Lin said.
Yang questioned the Cabinet spending NT$400 million on procuring protective garments and face masks between June 30 and July 17 after the SARS outbreak was brought under control.
Lin responded by saying that while the government's job was to ensure an inventory of the gear that would last a month, it was healthcare experts' job to decide exactly how many of the medical supplies were actually needed.
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