Print

Mail

wiki links

DPP and KMT stand on brink of a showdown

All out political war appeared a step closer yesterday when DPP lawmakers threatened to launch a vote of no-confidence in the premier if the KMT tries to amend the existing ceiling for public debt today.

The passing of a vote of no confidence in the premier would, under the Constitution, entitle President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to dissolve the legislature, forcing a legislative election.

The DPP said that any such move on its part would be designed to put an end to the KMT's antagonism towards the new government.

"When there is no other alternative, we will raise a vote of no-confidence to ask the KMT officially to take a stand," said Cheng Pao-ching (鄭寶清), convener of the DPP caucus in the Legislative Yuan.

"Since the KMT has shown no confidence in the new government by making things difficult for it, we hope for a judgment by public opinion," Cheng said.

The incident that could trigger the battle is a KMT-proposed bill to revise the Public Debt Law (公共債務法), set to be reviewed by the legislature's Finance Committee today.

The KMT has proposed lowering the ceiling for public debt from 15 percent of the government's annual budget to 10 percent.

Cheng said the KMT's plan would be tantamount to forcing the new government to "go bankrupt." He said that since the KMT had intended to raise the ceiling as high as 20 percent when it was in government, its change of position was obviously aimed at embarrassing the new government.

If the KMT sticks to its plan to obstruct the new government on the issue, the DPP will raise the vote of no-confidence as a challenge to the KMT, Cheng said.

"If the KMT is against the vote of no-confidence, it should stop antagonizing the new government," he said.

According to the Constitution, with the signatures of at least one-third of legislators, the legislature can propose a vote of no-confidence in the premier. If the motion is approved by at least one-half of the legislators, the premier must resign and at the same time may request the president to dissolve the legislature.

The KMT caucus, which holds 115 of the 221 legislative seats, called the DPP's idea "unthinkable."

"How can the ruling party raise a vote of no-confidence against its own Cabinet? This can never work," said KMT Legislator and Deputy Executive Director of the KMT's Central Policy Committee, Hung Chao-nan (洪昭男).

Hung said the KMT thought that the vote should not be raised, for the sake of "political stability," since Tang's Cabinet had been in place for only two months only.

KMT Lawmaker Eric Chu (朱立倫), who initiated the revision to the Public Debt Law, criticized the DPP as trying to divert the focus of the issue.

Chu said the KMT had not insisted on lowering the quota of public debt and was ready to negotiate with lawmakers of other parties. Chu said he would agree to maintain the present quota if the government promised transparency in its indebtedness.

Chu pointed out that at present, several categories of debts are not restricted by the annual quota, which include debts lasting less than one year, extended bank loans and new debts incurred to pay off old ones.

He questioned why many DPP lawmakers, who, he said, had held similar views to his when they were in opposition, seemed to be shifting their positions.

The People First Party (PFP), however, said the KMT was turning a blind eye to the financial demands of the nation.

"I couldn't see any room to shrink the quota any further," said Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), spokesman for the PFP caucus.

According to the central government's budget proposal for the next fiscal year, spending will total NT$1.5841 trillion, with the deficit registering at NT$147.7 billion.

On the DPP's threat to launch a vote of no-confidence, Liu said the basis for the measure was illogical.

Liu said it was the DPP's responsibility as the ruling party to communicate with opposition lawmakers to win their support before a bill was adopted.
This story has been viewed 3283 times.