Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) today called for party unity, downplaying a fiery outburst the day before by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who suggested that Fu resign as whip over his repeated absences from budget negotiations.
"Family harmony brings prosperity, and silence speaks louder than words," Fu told reporters. "Speaker Han, you are truly working hard. The KMT must stand united."
Fu took reporters’ questions while standing outside the Legislative Yuan offices, accompanied by KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) and principal deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄).
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Fu's conciliatory remarks followed a tense cross-caucus negotiation session yesterday regarding the general budget for this fiscal year.
The speaker’s frustration stemmed from Fu’s absence from five consecutive negotiation sessions.
During his absence, Fu also declined to authorize his deputy to sign agreements on his behalf, effectively stalling the meeting.
Despite the conflict, the caucuses ultimately managed to reach an agreement to put the budget proposal to a floor vote on Friday.
Separately, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) today expressed gratitude for Han's diligent efforts in moderating the cross-caucus talks.
Lee urged lawmakers from all parties to work together to complete the budget review as soon as possible, warning against the detrimental effects of having three overlapping budgets under review.
The current fiscal year's general budget has been stalled in the legislature for 349 days, Lee said, adding that the Executive Yuan is expected to pass next year’s general budget on Thursday next week and send it to the Legislative Yuan for review.
Furthermore, a supplementary budget for this year — which includes increased funding for farmers' allowances, national pensions and civil servant pay raises — is also pending approval, she said.
Typhoon Dolphin is expected to enter the East China Sea on Saturday and intensify rainfall in western regions over the weekend as the typhoon’s outer circulation sweeps across the sea north of Taiwan, independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said today. The eastern coast should prepare for extreme heat caused by downslope winds over the weekend, while southwesterly winds from Monday would bring localized heavy rain to the southwest, he said. As Typhoon Dolphin’s outer bands move past northern Taiwan over the next couple of days, northern, central and southern areas would experience showers tomorrow, he said. Rainfall over the weekend would lead to
STORM SEASON: A typhoon and two tropical storms currently forming are certainly making life exciting for those living the western Pacific, the CWA said One typhoon and two tropical storms are in the west Pacific, and a sea warning for Typhoon Dolphin could be issued as early as tomorrow afternoon as the storm closes on Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the center of the typhoon was about 1,680km east of Taipei and moving west at 20kph, the CWA said. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Kujia formed west of Luzon at 2am yesterday and is forecast to move east of the island before weakening and being absorbed by Typhoon Dolphin, the agency said. Steered by the Pacific high-pressure system, Dolphin is forecast to
READY TO AID: The CGA has offered assistance to Chinese vessels in distress, and governments should help ships in emergencies no matter their nationality, the OAC said Taiwan yesterday condemned reported actions by the China Coast Guard against a Japanese patrol vessel attempting to shelter from Typhoon Dolphin, saying that emergency refuge should not be used to challenge Taiwan’s sovereignty or jurisdiction. Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Deputy Minister Sung Chen-en (宋承恩) made the remarks after reports that China Coast Guard vessel No. 2304 on Friday night tailed the Japan Coast Guard’s Urado (PL-86) as it sailed from waters off Taichung toward Penghu County to evade the typhoon. Penghu fishers said they also spotted China Coast Guard vessels numbered 2504, 2102, 2301 and 1401 around the Strait’s median
Two Chinese suspected to have illegally entered Taiwan are being held incommunicado, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday, after a rubber boat was found north of the Port of Taipei last month. An angler late last month discovered a rubber boat on a beach in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里), a member of the public wrote on Threads on Monday. The next day, the angler investigated the boat and discovered that it contained Chinese-made metal oil drums, toilet paper packaging with simplified Chinese characters, an empty soda bottle sold in China and three life jackets, the post said. The fisher reported
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