Taiwan's global credibility is on the line, President William Lai (賴清德) said last night, as he called on the legislature to withdraw a series of laws the government opposes.
In a video message posted to social media, Lai said the laws should be withdrawn, and reiterated that he was willing to go to the legislature himself and speak to lawmakers.
"Dear fellow citizens, Taiwan is already a key hub of the global democratic camp. Our stability affects the entire world. We cannot allow flawed laws to weaken Taiwan's competitiveness, and we must not let the international community lose confidence in Taiwan," he said.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
The current standoff stems from opposition-passed amendments last month to a revenue allocation law, which granted more funds to local governments.
Lai's administration says that law, along with the reversing of pension reforms enacted in 2018, are fiscally unsustainable.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said he was refusing to enact the fiscal allocation law.
The opposition says that the government is acting dictatorially by refusing to enact the legislation and is trampling on the rule of law by ignoring the will of the democratically elected legislature.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) said the Democratic Progressive Party had already failed electorally this year, pointing to unsuccessful recall elections over the summer against a swathe of KMT lawmakers.
"When ordinary citizens thought the ruling party might finally calm down and heed public sentiment, what they got instead was more of the same low-level tactics: spreading rumors, making baseless accusations, and resorting to emotional blackmail and divisive tactics," he said.
The KMT has so far held off on a vote of no confidence against the premier, which could lead to the fall of the government and possibly new legislative elections.
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