The central government's budget proposal for fiscal 2001 failed to get onto the legislative agenda yesterday amid opposition from KMT and New Party lawmakers.
The move has, in effect, stalled the budget review process. Under the original plan agreed to by lawmakers, the legislature was to start reviewing the budget proposal after Premier Tang Fei (
When the review will finally get underway will now be the subject of inter-party negotiations.
Members of the KMT caucus in the legislature said the review would not proceed until the Executive Yuan reduced projected expenditures by at least NT$600 billion.
The comments of certain opposition legislators were suggestive of a backlash against the remarks of certain Cabinet members, especially Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
"Since the new government claims to practice thrift, how come it has proposed a budget outlining NT$95 billion more in expenditure than that of the current fiscal year?," asked KMT Legislator Chen Ching-pao (陳清寶).
The other two Cabinet members named by the KMT legislators included Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairman Lin Chia-cheng (
James Chen (
"Since they have said so, we believe they must be able to do it," Chen said. "We hope their figures will be reflected in the budget proposal."
In addition, the KMT caucus demanded that the three officials offer an explanation to the caucus for their remarks.
The New Party caucus, on the other hand, decided to block the budget proposal to register its protest against the new administration for "belittling" the party by shutting it out of the cross-party round-table meeting recently called by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
"Since the new government hasn't invited us to the round-table meeting, why should we review its budget proposal?" said Lai Shyh-bao (
DPP caucus convener Hsu Tain-tsair (
The DPP caucus agreed that the three Cabinet members involved should report to the KMT legislators to help clear up their misgivings.
Vice Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
On the KMT's demand to cut proposed government spending, Chang said the Executive Yuan had no authority to revise its budget proposal now that it had been submitted to the legislature.
"There is still room for discussion as to how legislators will make budget cuts," Chang said.
Meanwhile, Tang delivered his six-month policy address to the legislature yesterday, the first day of the new legislative session.
Tang said the government was evaluating plans to lift the ban on direct cross-strait transport, business and mail links to improve cross-strait relations.
He also urged China to respond to Taiwan's goodwill and resume cross-strait dialogue in an effort to normalize ties between the two sides.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
By refusing to agree spending increases to appease US President Donald Trump, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened to derail a summit that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte needs to run smoothly for the sake of the military alliance’s future survival. Ahead of yesterday’s gathering in The Hague, Netherlands, things were going off the rails. European officials have expressed irritation at the spoiler role that Sanchez is playing when their No. 1 task is to line up behind a pledge to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. Rutte needed to keep Spain in line while preventing others such as Slovakia
RSS