Two special flood-control budget bills failed to clear the legislature yesterday due to confrontation between the pan-blue and the pan-green camps over procedures for reviewing the recall motion against the president.
Pan-blue legislators, who initiated the recall motion, came up with a version of the recall procedure, in which they demanded that the president or his representatives should attend the review meeting to give his response to the recall.
But pan-green legislators opposed the proposed procedure, arguing that there was no legal basis for either the president or his representatives to be required to attend the meeting.
PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
The disagreement occupied the legislature for most of the day, even though cross-party negotiations on Thursday had specified that the two flood bills would receive due attention.
"Today's impasse proves that reviewing the budget bills was only an excuse the pan-blues used to convene a special legislative session," Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (
The regulations governing recall of the president are specified in Article 44 of the Law Governing Legislators' Exercise of Power (
Pan-blue legislators said that the inadequacy of current recall regulations does not justify the DPP's refusal to negotiate an appropriate recall procedure.
"Since this is the first time the legislature is using its power to recall the president, we have to use this opportunity to establish constitutional precedents," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Kao Su-po (高思博) said.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said the pan-blue camp would mobilize supporters to besiege the legislature next week if the pan-green camp did not accept their proposed recall procedure.
The flood-control budget bills include NT$30.9 billion (US$0.95 billion) earmarked for an eight-year "Flood-prone Area Management Plan," which is expected to reduce flooding risks in around half of the flood-prone areas around the nation. This directly affects 2.5 million people.
Another NT$14 billion has been earmarked to improve the Shihmen Reservoir, which has been plagued by turbidity problems that periodically leave millions of residents in Taoyuan County without water.
Yesterday, a group of farmers from Yunlin County carrying rotten vegetables destroyed by last week's flooding in southern Taiwan gathered in front of the legislature urging lawmakers to pass the budget bill.
"We left before 3am this morning. We have to make people and legislators living in Taipei understand the havoc that flooding has caused," a farmer said.
One farmer in the group was so angry about the pan-blue camp blocking the budget bills that he threw a pail of water at a KMT caucus member's staff.
Meanwhile, a group of environmentalists led by the Green Party also gathered in the legislature, voicing their opposition to the flood-control bills.
"The budget bill will not resolve the flooding problem completely as most of the budget will be used for constructing dams, protecting embankments and upgrading pumping stations, which will do more damage to the environment," the group's statement said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS