President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called on Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to reconsider his invitation for a tea gathering tomorrow with heads of the Executive Yuan and the Examination Yuan to promote harmony between the government and opposition, and overall social solidarity.
“We hope Speaker Han would reconsider his stance, given the difficulties he faces, as the meeting would discuss critical national issues,” Lai said.
The invitation came in light of increasing friction between the legislative and executive branches after opposition lawmakers last week voted to turn down the Executive Yuan’s petition for a review of the amendment to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) and on Friday passed an amendment to legislation reversing the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) 2018 pension reform.
Photo: CNA
Han, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), declined the invitation, saying that the legislature is a collegial body.
The KMT yesterday expressed support for Han’s decision, stating that the Lai administration has been antagonistic, often disrespecting and refusing to initiate dialogue with the legislature.
The KMT said it questioned the governing party’s basic understanding of and respect for democracy when, as the minority in the Legislative Yuan, it refuses to work with the majority and often resorts to sensational rhetoric to incite public opposition.
KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday said that Lai missed the window to communicate with the opposition parties after his party collaborated on a failed recall campaign against opposition lawmakers this summer, adding that the difficulty the government faces in pushing its policies stems from a long-term refusal to engage in sincere talks with the opposition.
The Taiwan People’s Party yesterday said it respected Han’s refusal “to kowtow to the executive branch” and called on the DPP government to be law-abiding, uphold justice in law enforcement and step up dialogue with opposition parties.
The president should meet directly with opposition party chairs if the government wishes to reach substantive resolutions to national issues, it said.
DPP Policy Committee Executive Officer Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said in response to Han’s claims that he should refrain from being involved in inter-branch mediation that it had not stopped him from participating in similar talks in the past, and that the speaker should rise above party lines.
Inter-branch mediation is a constitutionally enabled power, and such attempts were not attempts to patronize Han, Wu said, adding that Han should instead be concerned “whether certain political parties are hijacking him.”
Additional reporting by Huang Tzu-yang, Lee Wen-hsin, and Chen Cheng-yu
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