Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday said he was sorry for the mayhem that had occurred at the legislature on Tuesday but also urged Cabinet members to continue their work for the people while waiting to brief lawmakers.
"I think many people feel that we were wasting time and money while being boycotted at the legislature yesterday," Hsieh said. "However, this is a democratic mechanism and things like this will happen. It is all right. But, as government officials, I think we can use the time well and continue our services to the people anyway."
The premier made the remarks during an opening speech at the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
On the first day of the new legislative session on Tuesday, the premier was forced to postpone delivering a scheduled policy report until tomorrow because of protests by pan-blue lawmakers.
Hsieh said he was sorry about what had taken place during the session.
"While we were sitting there waiting, most Taiwanese people were working hard. As government officials, we should not be idle or waste our time like that," he said.
Hsieh suggested his fellow government officials take advantage of any time spent waiting to review official documents, read more books or even carry out small discussions between ministries.
"A lot of tiny items can be completed and little negotiations can be done during those kinds of period if we use time well," the premier said.
"For myself, in addition to reviewing and authorizing official documents, I also finished half of a book while I was waiting for my turn to brief lawmakers yesterday [Tuesday]," he said.
In other developments, Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
"There is no such rule in the Constitution," Cho said. "Nobody has the authorization to approve this suggestion, even the president himself."
The discussion came after Hsieh challenged lawmakers earlier this month to initiate a no-confidence vote against him, saying he was upset at serving as premier while his policies are not supported or endorsed by the legislature.
He said he would be happy to ask lawmakers to approve the resignation of the Cabinet, which would give the president the option of dismissing the legislature and calling for new legislative elections.
"The premier proposed this suggestion in line with the Constitution. But, there is no regulation for what our pan-blue friends have outlined. Such a suggestion does not exist under the Constitution," Cho said.
The suggestion that the majority party in the legislature be entitled to appoint a new Cabinet was proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Lawmaker Wu Yu-sheng (
"I am afraid that lawmakers do not enjoy authority over this issue," Cho added.
Cho said that it was the ruling party's duty to maintain the democratic system of the country and protect it, and that nobody was allowed to challenge or make changes to the Constitution.
"Lawmakers should know that better than I do," he said.
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