The opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) yesterday used their combined legislative majority to vote to extend the current Legislative Yuan session until Jan. 31.
The two opposition parties, which together control 62 of the body's 113 seats, outvoted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers 59-49 to extend the session.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
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.
The TPP caucus said it put forth the proposal because the Executive Yuan did not prepare next year's budget for military and police pay in accordance with the law, leaving the budget stalled and preventing substantive committee review.
DPP lawmakers during the session accused the opposition of aiming to protect themselves by amending the law to give elected officials the right to use compensation for assistants as they see fit.
Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) urged legislators to heed the constitutional provision requiring the next fiscal year's budget to be reviewed by Dec. 31.
The bill has been stalled in the legislature for more than four months, she said, calling on lawmakers to review the budget to ensure the normal operation of the country.
Additional reporting by Su Yung-yao
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