All hell broke loose at the legislature yesterday after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus bombarded Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers with water balloons, flour and eggs, prompting the DPP caucus to rush budget proposals for the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and 126 motions through committee review.
KMT caucus members first tried to filibuster the proceedings.
However, as soon as the last KMT lawmaker finished speaking, DPP Legislator Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋), who chaired the meeting, instructed an emcee to read the motions tendered by the DPP, the New Power Party (NPP) and the People First Party (PFP).
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
KMT lawmakers had arrived armed with bags full of water balloons for such a moment and they began to hurl them at the DPP lawmakers at the rostrum.
Water balloons flew across room, hitting several fluorescent lights before smashing against the proscenium above the rostrum.
Water trickled down onto the DPP legislators, some of whom then donned raincoats, while others tried to fend off more balloons with placards while getting soaked.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
A bag of flour was also thrown and exploded on the board.
While most KMT lawmakers appeared to be aiming for the proscenium, KMT Legislator Chang Li-shan (張麗善) took aim at DPP Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純), triggering a scolding from Ho.
KMT caucus whip Lin Te-fu (林德福) produced an egg and threatened to throw it.
“Lin Te-fu. Do not throw eggs. Otherwise, you are looking for a fight,” DPP Legislator Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said.
KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) threw the egg instead, but it was Lin Te-fu and KMT Legislator Sra Kacaw, who were standing nearby, who had to deal with the fallout.
DPP lawmakers Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) and Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) charged at Lin Te-fu, pinning him to the floor along with Sra.
Waves of scuffles ensued after the men got back to their feet.
With the meeting descending into total chaos, Wang put to a vote — in the form of a roll call — a DPP motion to send the 126 motions to cross-caucus negotiations next month.
The motion was backed by the DPP caucus, which has the legislative majority.
That angered several KMT lawmakers, who pushed over a desk and tried to drive it toward the rostrum like a siege ram, only to be vigorously blocked by DPP lawmakers.
Lin Wei-chou said that the KMT’s next mission would be to freeze as many unreasonable budget proposals linked to infrastructure development program as it can.
The DPP caucus criticized the KMT’s obstruction and its combative tactics.
“As hot as the weather is, this is the legislature, not a water park,” DPP caucus chief executive Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津) said.
The “farce” staged by the KMT impeded lawmakers, including those from the DPP, PFP and NPP, from questioning, supervising or downsizing the infrastructure budgets, while allowing them to receive the approval of a cross-committee review without any discussion or modification, she said.
Only 16 KMT lawmakers — less than half of the KMT’s 35 legislators — attended the review, suggesting that most KMT lawmakers supported the infrastructure program, Yeh added.
“The KMT called three caucus meetings, only to discuss whether they should use water balloons or eggs,” DPP caucus secretary-general Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said. “Is this the KMT that KMT chairman-elect Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) wants?”
The KMT’s boycott of the budget review was aimed to curry favor with staunch pan-blue supporters, whose opposition to the infrastructure program is intense, Lee said.
Additional reporting by Chen Wei-han
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