Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday called for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers to support the DPP’s no-confidence motion against the Cabinet.
“The KMT terrified KMT legislators by threatening them with the severest punishment because it knows public opinion is against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺). It is afraid that KMT legislators will stand on the side of the people,” Su said.
Su was referring to KMT caucus whip Lin Te-fu’s (林德福) remarks on Friday that if KMT lawmakers vote against the party’s decision, the caucus would recommend their expulsion to the KMT Central Committee.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Lin made the remarks shortly after the opposition earlier the same day sponsored a no-confidence motion that will put Jiang’s job on the line in a vote set for Tuesday.
The no-confidence motion, jointly sponsored by the DPP and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), cited Jiang’s “conspiring with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) to start a political battle and oust their enemies.”
They violated constitutional boundaries, interfered with legislative operations and personnel affairs, and turned the balance of power upside down, the proposal said, charging the three powerful leaders with damaging freedom and democracy through alleged illegal wiretapping of Legislative Yuan’s switchboard.
Controlling only 40 seats, the DPP would need votes from other opposition parties and the KMT to have the motion pass.
With the TSU, the People First Party and at least one independent lawmaker lending support for a combined 46 or 47 votes, the DPP would need to pry away 10 or 11 votes from the KMT.
Some political analysts have said that the action could paradoxically benefit Ma because the threshold is high and because no motion of no confidence could be proposed within a year if the current motion fails.
Brushing off the doubts, Su yesterday said that “it would benefit [the Ma government] if we sit idle and do nothing.”
Additional reporting by CNA
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