The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is appealing to the public for support on the government budget issue with eight nationwide policy information sessions, the first of which was held in Taichung yesterday.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) led several Cabinet members on stage, including Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱), who took turns to speak about the government’s budget and its policies
The Cabinet asked for a review of this year’s fiscal budget on Wednesday, saying that the cuts and freezes imposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan’s People Party (TPP) hamper the government’s ability to do its job and undermine national security.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
The opposition parties’ actions infringed on the public’s rights, and the freezes and cuts lacked popular support, Cho said.
It is the government’s responsibility, and the premier’s obligation, to request further reviews of the budget, he said, adding that these requests were made to protect the public’s rights and interests.
The budget cuts and freezes targeted the Executive Yuan’s efforts to improve infrastructure and further develop the nation, he said.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
Despite KMT Chairman Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) claims that the KMT’s actions were for the public, its proposals have been controversial and produced conflict, showing that the party did not care for the public, DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said.
The budget is the basis for national development, and it is the public who would suffer from the KMT’s and the TPP’s antics, DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said, adding that only when the public are in charge of the nation’s budget can development be assured.
President William Lai (賴清德) via a video at the event yesterday said that the KMT’s actions not only contradicted the policies of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), but also reflects how the party has transitioned from being the Chinese Communist Party’s enemy to its friend.
The KMT said it plans to hold more than 100 policy information sessions nationwide.
The KMT has not set a date for the first event, but it would be held in either Taipei or New Taipei City, KMT Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said, adding that Chu and other KMT legislators, local councilors and government officials would attend the events.
Local party chapters would assist recall groups to collect signatures for second-stage recall petitions, he added.
Additional reporting by Huang Hsu-lei
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