The last session of the fifth legislature resumes today with an ambitious and hotly-contested agenda. Legislators will return to the negotiating table to review and approve the government budget and try to hammer out agreement on controversial bills such as the NT$610.8 billion (US$18.8 billion) arms deal with the US and the NT$500 billion budget for public infrastructure projects over the next five years.
Another major issue to be handled is the amendment of relevant laws governing the National Assembly so that ad-hoc National Assembly representatives can be chosen to ratify the Constitutional amendment for downsizing the legislature.
Last but not least, the ratification of the Control Yuan member nominations by the President is another important battle between the caucuses.
The legislature recessed on November 10 for the legislative election campaign. With Saturday's election over, the session resumes today with mixed feelings, since as many as 37 incumbent lawmakers have lost their seats.
But there is no time left for grand farewell parties for those who failed to win re-election: next year's budget has to be reviewed by the joint committee sessions and perhaps negotiated by the caucus whips.
Before the election, the legislative committees completed reviewing the budget, and cut only NT$0.8 billion out of the total NT$1.6 trillion requested by the government.
The cut was a record low for the DPP administration. The budgets for at least two-thirds of government agencies were not even cut one penny. It was speculated that legislators dared not cut the budget before the election for fear of hurting their campaigns.
But now that the pan-blue camp has retained its majority in the legislature, further budget trimming is expected.
"It is clear that the opposition parties have decided to wait until inter-party negotiations to give the annual budget a further cut," DPP caucus whip Tsai Huang-liang (
The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) attempt to push through the NT$610.8 billion arms deal with the US will also resume, although the continuing pan-blue majority may mean the DPP will still have a hard time selling its plan.
"We support and hope that the budget can be approved, and we are willing to form a supervision team with the opposition parties to supervise the Ministry of Defense's purchase process," Tsai said.
Tsai said that if the Ministry of Defense did not spend every penny in the end, the extra money would be returned to the national treasury.
Tsai also said the NT$500 billion budget for public infrastructure projects was something regional governments had long hoped for, and that he did not think the opposition parties would antagonize them.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus, on the other hand, is hoping for the passage of bills governing two major government agencies.
"We hope the organic law governing the Central Election Commission, and the law governing a national communications commission will be passed," KMT caucus whip Huang Teh-fu (
Huang also said that amendments to the Law Governing the National Assembly's Exercise of Power (
The People First Party caucus, meanwhile, persisted in pushing its cross-strait peace advancement law.
"Cross-strait peace is facing serious problems since Chen Shui-bian (
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus, on the other hand, is waiting for today's party central executive members' meeting to decide its legislative strategy.
"We will wait until the meeting to sort out our priorities," TSU caucus whip Chen Chien-ming (
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
There have been clear signs of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to interfere in the nationwide recall vote on July 26 in support of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators facing recall, an unnamed government official said, warning about possible further actions. The CCP is actively involved in Taiwanese politics, and interference in the recall vote is to be expected, with multiple Chinese state media and TAO attempts to discredit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and undermine public support of their recall movement, the official said. This interference includes a smear campaign initiated this month by a pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet against
A week-long exhibition on modern Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama’s global advocacy opened yesterday in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights and China’s ongoing repression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Uighurs. The exhibition, the first organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.” “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this — we can do it. because we live in a free and democratic country,” HRNTT secretary-general Tashi Tsering said. Tashi Tsering, a Taiwan-based Tibetan who has never