Last week, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), together holding more than half of the legislative seats, cut about NT$94 billion (US$2.85 billion) from the yearly budget.
The cuts include 60 percent of the government’s advertising budget, 10 percent of administrative expenses, 3 percent of the military budget, and 60 percent of the international travel, overseas education and training allowances. In addition, the two parties have proposed freezing the budgets of many ministries and departments, including NT$1.8 billion from the Ministry of National Defense’s Indigenous Defense Submarine program — 90 percent of the program’s proposed NT$2 billion budget — and up to 70 percent of ministerial expenses.
This week, the Legislative Yuan would continue to discuss and vote on the central government’s total budget, as well as hundreds of proposals by KMT and TPP lawmakers to cut specific items.
Although it is within the Legislative Yuan’s power to freeze or cut the government’s budget, the reasons opposition party lawmakers put forward for their budget proposals have generated a public backlash.
KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) submitted a motion to slash the entire NT$2.309 billion budget of Public Television Service (PTS) and its subsidiaries, claiming that the broadcaster only serves the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while other KMT legislators proposed cutting arts and culture grants. The motions were immediately denounced by leading figures in the film and arts industry, while academics launched a petition and urged recalls. KMT lawmakers later backed away from eliminating PTS’ budget allocation in favor of a more modest NT$23 million, or 1 percent, reduction.
Other cuts with absurd rationales include cutting the gender equity budget because “there were too many sexual assault cases”; cutting a ministry’s advertising budget because it has used “blue and white colors in its ‘extremely ugly’ ad picture, as if vilifying the KMT and TPP”; and cutting NT$200 million from the police budget to “effectively fight scams and fraud, so that people will not fall victim to scams.”
Opposition lawmakers have also proposed cutting NT$100 million for firefighters’ helmets and protective equipment due to “concerns that they would be used for war preparedness,” and cutting NT$400 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget, because “Honduras cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan.”
More people and organizations have voiced concerns over such proposals, which they said would drastically affect people’s livelihoods, public safety and social welfare.
However, the KMT and TPP do not seem to be worried about the public reaction. The two parties said the cuts are necessary to tighten supervision over the “corrupt” DPP and prevent it from spending money on propaganda to “attack the opposition” and “brainwash people.”
They pledged to pass further cuts this week.
After KMT and TPP lawmakers took a majority of the Legislative Yuan in February last year, they focused on expanding their legislative power in the first legislative session, but the Constitutional Court ruled that most of their bills were unconstitutional.
During the second session, the opposition legislators started taking more extreme retaliatory measures to paralyze the court and slash the government budget to incapacitate it.
If voters stay indifferent or silently endure the harm caused by the budget cuts, KMT and TPP lawmakers would only become more emboldened to disregard the Constitution. Chen last week called a director who questioned the PTS budget cut “a wicked servant bullying the master,” implying that it is the lawmakers who are masters. She has forgotten that she should be a “servant” serving the public humbly, not bullying those who question her.
Many foreigners, particularly Germans, are struck by the efficiency of Taiwan’s administration in routine matters. Driver’s licenses, household registrations and similar procedures are handled swiftly, often decided on the spot, and occasionally even accompanied by preferential treatment. However, this efficiency does not extend to all areas of government. Any foreigner with long-term residency in Taiwan — just like any Taiwanese — would have encountered the opposite: agencies, most notably the police, refusing to accept complaints and sending applicants away at the counter without consideration. This kind of behavior, although less common in other agencies, still occurs far too often. Two cases
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Yesterday’s recall and referendum votes garnered mixed results for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). All seven of the KMT lawmakers up for a recall survived the vote, and by a convincing margin of, on average, 35 percent agreeing versus 65 percent disagreeing. However, the referendum sponsored by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on restarting the operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County failed. Despite three times more “yes” votes than “no,” voter turnout fell short of the threshold. The nation needs energy stability, especially with the complex international security situation and significant challenges regarding
Most countries are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with condemnations of militarism and imperialism, and commemoration of the global catastrophe wrought by the war. On the other hand, China is to hold a military parade. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Beijing is conducting the military parade in Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 to “mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.” However, during World War II, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had not yet been established. It