The opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted to further extend the current legislative session to Aug. 31, lengthening the previously extended session by another month.
Using their combined majority, the two opposition parties outvoted the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 59-49, saying many urgent proposed bills should not be postponed to the next session.
The legislature meets in two regular sessions each year: one from February to the end of May, and the other from September to the end of December.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Yesterday’s vote, proposed by the TPP on June 13, followed an earlier extension proposed by the KMT on April 18, which the two parties on May 20 jointly supported to extend the session to July 31.
SPECIAL BUDGET
KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) said that following the Legislative Yuan’s passage of a NT$545 billion (US$18.53 billion) special relief bill last week, which includes a NT$10,000 universal cash handout, the Cabinet should draw up a special budget and submit it to the Legislative Yuan for review.
TPP Legislator Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬) said the US is expected to announce tariffs on Taiwan soon, and the legislature should remain in session to respond promptly to any resulting impact.
However, DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) called the extension “groundless” and accused the opposition parties of using the prolonged session as their “legislative umbrella.”
Wu was referring to the constitutional and legal protections that shield lawmakers from arrest or detention without the legislature’s consent while it is in session, unless they are caught in the act of committing a crime.
‘CHINESE TERRORISM’
Meanwhile, DPP lawmakers yesterday criticized the opposition for repeatedly blocking a vote on a proposal condemning Beijing for “transnational acts of terrorism,” following confirmation from Czech officials that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and planned a collision with her car during her visit to Prague last year.
The DPP on July 4 put forth a vote for the legislature to officially condemn China and demand that Beijing issue a formal apology to Taiwan and the world, as well as promise that it would cease all harassment, threats or acts of violence toward Taiwanese officials and people in the international community.
Yesterday was the third time the opposition declined to include the proposal on the agenda.
The proposal also demanded that national security reforms be expedited to bolster national security in light of continued Chinese infiltration and threats.
It also called on the government to work with like-minded countries to jointly maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait and uphold regional security.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS