Taipei: Opposition lawmakers on Friday criticized Premier Cho Jung-tai's repeated use of Taiwan's reconsideration mechanism, after voting down the Cabinet's request to revisit amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures. The request was rejected 59-50 in a disclosed ballot, leaving intact amendments passed on Nov. 14. The Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) hold a combined majority in the 113-seat chamber.
According to Focus Taiwan, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao remarked that the vote demonstrated the opposition's commitment to "defending the normal functioning of the constitutional system" by rejecting the Cabinet's "baseless" request. Lai criticized Premier Cho for filing more reconsideration requests than any other premier in history, all of which have been unsuccessful. He accused the executive branch of arrogance, suggesting it acts as if the Legislature does not exist.
TPP Legislator Chang Chi-kai stated that the opposition aimed to prevent what it saw as improper cuts totaling more than NT$200 billion to local government revenues. Chang emphasized that the vote was a battle to restore order and defend local government subsidies.
Under Taiwan's political system, the executive branch is empowered to order the Legislature to revisit bills it finds difficult to implement. The Cabinet had approved the reconsideration proposal on Nov. 27, arguing that the amendments would strain the central government's finances and require an additional NT$264.6 billion (US$8.43 billion) in debt next year, surpassing the annual borrowing cap. The request was the eighth made by the Cabinet in just over a year, with the previous seven also being voted down.