Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday rejected criticism from some KMT lawmakers that it was his disclosure of their tactics that allowed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus to fast-track bills aimed at nationalizing irrigation associations and pushing tax reforms.
“I did not specifically say on which day. I only told KMT lawmakers that they should prepare themselves for a night spent at the legislature,” Wu said on the sidelines of an event to hand out scholarships in the name of former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) at the KMT headquarters in Taipei.
Wu was referring to remarks he made at a meeting of the KMT’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday, in which he criticized the DPP caucus’ draft amendments to the Act of Irrigation Association Organization (農田水利會組織通則) and accused the party of turning a deaf ear to public opposition.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Wu said he had instructed the KMT caucus to prepare to spend a night at legislature, while calling on farmers to voice their opposition against the draft amendments.
Wu’s remarks prompted a handful of DPP lawmakers to camp outside the legislature building since early Thursday to prevent KMT lawmakers from occupying the plenary chamber and stall a session on Friday in which legislators were to decide whether to send the draft amendments for committee review.
As a result, the DPP caucus used its majority advantage and allowed the bill to skip a committee review and be sent directly to cross-caucus negotiations.
Dismissing allegations that some KMT caucus members were clueless about the plan until they saw news reports of Wu’s remarks, Wu said the Central Standing Committee meeting was also attended by the KMT caucus whip and that the plan was drawn by caucus cadres themselves.
“As chairman, it is impossible for me to just go and tell KMT lawmakers: You have to spend a night [at the legislature],” Wu said.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
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City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
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