Decision expected Monday on special plenary session

Lawmakers make a final decision Monday on whether to have a special plenary session before the Legislative Yuan convenes a new session on Feb. 6.

Legislative at a multiparty negotiation yesterday confirmed that the legislature would have a plenary discussion on the proposed session on Monday. A showdown was expected after the discussion to decide the fate of the proposition offered by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus.

The DPP filed for the special session in the hopes of dealing with a special budget proposed for the Executive Yuan's new 10 major construction projects.

The DPP caucuses' original plan was convening the three-day special meeting from Thursday and finalize the agenda before the Lunar New Year's eve.

The pan-blue controlled legislature held up the NT$500 billion, five-year construction-budget bill by voting to block furthering of the agenda during the last session.

The People First Party (PFP) caucus members threatened to reject the bill, as they claimed that the special budget was roughly drafted and the government is suspected of underestimating the money needed to complete the projects.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and PFP caucus leaders already said yesterday that they would veto the proposed session in Monday's vote.

"The special session was out of the question since the legislature has secured a new date to convene next session. The ruling party should await until Feb. 6 to cope with the issues it hoped to push through," said KMT whip Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進).

Opposition also voiced by a member of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus.

"The TSU might not side with the DPP as long as ruling party members could not persuade us about why it is so imperative to hold the extraordinary session, while the legislature had concluded to reconvene three weeks earlier than the original plan of February 24," said TSU whip Cheng Cheng-lung (程振隆).

But Premier Yu Shyi-kun is still hoping to have the special session.

He said yesterday that the 10 major construction projects would be in the interest of all the people.

"Many of the 10 major construction projects are local projects that have nothing to do with a particular party's interest but they are imperative to upgrade the country's international competitiveness," Yu told a news conference, adding that "the task must not be delayed."