The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is devising plans to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators in retaliation for moves by the pan-green camp to recall KMT legislators for supporting controversial policies put forward by the Executive Yuan, the KMT legislative caucus said yesterday.
Caucus Secretary--General Hsu Yao-chang (徐耀昌) called on opposition parties to know when “enough is enough,” adding that the KMT was not afraid to fight and would hit back if necessary.
If opposition parties do nothing but taunt the party in power, that is the reason they will remain in opposition, Hsu said.
KMT Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) said it was fine if the DPP wanted to “play chicken,” adding that if the opposition party were to propose recalling KMT legislators, the KMT would also put forward petitions to recall DPP legislators with a less than savory performance in the legislature.
The KMT would have a greater chance of succeeding, Lu said.
Meanwhile, DPP deputy whip Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) provided clarifications on what acting chairperson Chen Chu (陳菊) said on Sunday, explaining that what she had proposed was that the DPP should support efforts initiated by the public to recall unpopular legislators.
The KMT should reflect on events and ask its legislators to perform better instead of trying to deny public will, Huang said. The KMT is obviously getting the target of their appeals mixed up, Huang said.
The DPP was not afraid of threats, even if the KMT were to carry out them out, and even if such a proposal meant the Legislative Yuan was in danger of being disbanded, Huang said.
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) approval rating has fallen dramatically in recent months and if legislative elections were held now, the KMT would very likely lose many seats, Huang said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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