The recent budget review in the legislature and the ruling party’s push for recall campaigns have become focal points of political debate. Budget reviews are a normal process in a democratic system, ensuring that government spending is justified and properly allocated.
However, instead of responding to legitimate concerns about budget usage, the ruling party has chosen to frame oversight as political obstruction. Worse yet, it has launched large-scale recall campaigns as a form of political retaliation. Such actions not only deepen societal divisions, but also risk undermining the normal functioning of Taiwan’s democratic system.
The core spirit of democracy lies in checks and balances, as well as government accountability — not in suppressing dissent through political maneuvers. The government had proposed a record-breaking budget of NT$3.1325 trillion (US$95.46 billion), and it must be subject to rigorous legislative scrutiny to ensure that every dollar is spent effectively on improving the lives of the people.
However, the ruling party has painted budget oversight and spending cuts as deliberate obstruction, even spreading misinformation domestically and internationally. This does nothing to enhance transparency; instead, it casts a shadow over Taiwan’s democratic institutions. Rather than engaging in political infighting, the people care more about whether the government can drive economic growth, alleviate financial burdens, and guide Taiwan toward a stable and prosperous future.
By advancing key legislative initiatives to improve economic conditions, ensuring stable energy supply and establishing a comprehensive social welfare system, we can truly achieve the goal of building up Taiwan.
To build a truly strong Taiwan, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus has introduced a series of critical bills, including amendments to the Electricity Act (電業法) and the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act (核子反應器設施管制法), a draft long-term care insurance bill and a plan to distribute NT$10,000 to each taxpayer.
Energy policy is crucial to Taiwan’s industrial competitiveness and social stability. As the world moves toward carbon reduction, ensuring a stable energy supply while balancing economic and environmental needs is a challenge the government must address. However, the administration’s inconsistent energy policies have led to continued instability in domestic power supply, rising industrial electricity costs and declining foreign investor confidence. The proposed amendments to the Electricity Act aim to clarify the energy supply mechanism and establish a sustainable energy policy for Taiwan’s future.
As Taiwan transitions into an aging society, long-term care will become an increasingly important public policy issue. The current allocation of long-term care resources is uneven, placing a heavy financial burden on many families. The draft long-term care insurance bill seeks to establish a structured financial plan to ensure fair distribution of resources and guarantee proper care for the elderly in need.
If the ruling party continues to prioritize political mobilization over addressing people’s needs, it will only weaken Taiwan’s democratic institutions and trap the nation in endless internal conflict. Taiwan’s democracy has been hard-won through decades of struggle and we must cherish it. Instead of engaging in political battles, we should focus on policy competition and meaningful reform. We must approach national development challenges with a rational and pragmatic mindset, abandoning political maneuvering in favor of real solutions that serve the people.
Chance Hsu is the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) assistant director of international affairs.
With the Year of the Snake reaching its conclusion on Monday next week, now is an opportune moment to reflect on the past year — a year marked by institutional strain and national resilience. For Taiwan, the Year of the Snake was a composite of political friction, economic momentum, social unease and strategic consolidation. In the political sphere, it was defined less by legislative productivity and more by partisan confrontation. The mass recall movement sought to remove 31 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators following the passage of controversial bills that expanded legislative powers and imposed sweeping budget cuts. While the effort
There is a story in India about a boy called Prahlad who was an ardent worshipper of Lord Narayana, whom his father considered an enemy. His son’s devotion vexed the father to the extent that he asked his sister, Holika, who could not be burned by fire, to sit with the boy in her lap and burn him to death. Prahlad knew about this evil plan, but sat in his aunt’s lap anyway. His faith won, as he remained unscathed by the fire, while his aunt was devoured by the flames. In some small way, Prahlad reminds me of Taiwan
When Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced newspaper owner Jimmy Lai (黎智英) to 20 years in prison this week, officials declared that his “heinous crimes” had long poisoned society and that his punishment represented justice restored. In their telling, Lai is the mastermind of Hong Kong’s unrest — the architect of a vast conspiracy that manipulated an otherwise contented population into defiance. They imply that removing him would lead to the return of stability. It is a politically convenient narrative — and a profoundly false one. Lai did not radicalize Hong Kong. He belonged to the same generation that fled from the Chinese
To our readers: Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 22, the Taipei Times will have a reduced format without our regular editorials and opinion pieces. From Mondy to Thursday the paper will not be delivered to subscribers, but will be available for purchase at convenience stores. Subscribers will receive the editions they missed once normal distribution resumes on Friday, Feb. 20. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 23, when our regular editorials and opinion pieces will also be resumed.
RSS