The Executive Yuan would not request the reconsideration of the proposed universal NT$10,000 (US$338.72) cash handouts, a source said yesterday.
The Executive Yuan earlier this year put forward the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及國土安全韌性特別條例), with a NT$410 billion special budget to help mitigate the impact of increased US tariffs.
The special budget was increased to NT$545 billion, despite the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) removing NT$100 billion from the budget intended to help fund Taiwan Power Co, as the party added a universal cash handout.
Photo: Tyrone Siu, Reuters
The bill has passed the third reading at the legislature, and the Executive Yuan has until Thursday to decide wither it would request a reconsideration of the bill.
A source familiar with the matter said that Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has decided not to request a reconsideration, adding that whether the Executive Yuan would seek a Constitutional Court judgement and plan the budget has yet to be finalized.
The Executive Yuan had already considered not requesting a reconsideration of the bill before the recall votes on Saturday, they said.
That seemed to have been reinforced by the failure of Saturday’s recall votes against opposition lawmakers, as the cash handout issue was believed to have affected the outcome, the source said.
Another concern is the second round of recall votes against seven KMT legislators on Aug. 23, alongside a vote on a motion to restart the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, they said.
Most of the recall votes would be held in rural areas, where the issue of cash handouts could be influential in affecting the results, the source added.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) yesterday said the DPP caucus would respect and support the Executive Yuan’s final decision.
Meanwhile, the opposition is calling for a Cabinet reshuffle.
KMT Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) yesterday said the Cabinet should take the responsibility by reshuffling or giving some concessions to the opposition.
People care more about bread-and-butter issues, he said, urging the government to focus on tariff and economic issues.
KMT Legislator Chang Chih-lun (張智倫) also called on Cho to consider communicating with opposition parties and adjusting the Cabinet’s policies to meet people’s needs.
Asked about the prospect of forming a coalition government, KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) said it is not likely to happen.
The KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party are not interested, given President Willaim Lai’s (賴清德) way of doing things, she said.
However, Hsu said she believed people would be generous enough to give the ruling DPP a second chance, and called on Lai to refrain from political infighting.
Additional reporting by Lin Hsin-han
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