In a concerted effort rarely seen in Taiwan politics, the legislative caucuses of the three major parties yesterday reached a consensus to help push forward post-quake restoration work by passing the emergency decree announced by President Lee Teng-hui (
The legislature also decided to cancel an initial agreement to adjourn legislative sessions for two weeks.
In a joint statement made by legislative caucuses of the KMT, DPP, and the New Party, the legislature will review and vote today on the emergency decree announced for the enhancement of rescue and restoration work in the wake of last week's quake.
Representatives from the three parties' caucuses said they would not adjourn legislative sessions for the two weeks between Sept. 29 and Oct. 14 to make sure the government was responsible in its restoration efforts.
The decision was made after hours of closed-door negotiations between the three legislative caucuses, who demonstrated a rare unified attitude toward the single issue.
Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) of the KMT pointed out several reasons why the legislature needed to stay in session.
"We need to be in session to monitor the government's enforcement of restoration tasks. And we can also have time to reflect on the needs of the people affected by the quake," Wang said.
Although the three parties agreed on passing the emergency decree in today's session, the actual passage of the decree is not expected to be automatic, as it is subject to a review and secret vote by all the legislators, including independent ones.
There are other pressing concerns in addition to the restoration projects. KMT legislative caucus leader Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said his party now has an urgent need to push forward the court martial law bill, which he said must be passed before Oct. 1; otherwise, there will be no law to handle criminal offenses by personnel of the armed forces. Both the DPP and the New Party have other concerns as well. By combining efforts to pass bills relevant to the restoration work they will be better able to accomplish their various tasks.
DPP legislative caucus leader Chen Chi-mai (
"We plan to do so mainly because the emergency decree's effective period [six months] is not long enough for the rebuilding efforts to be completed and also because the decree does not have clear definitions for restoration work in various areas," Chen said.
"We hope our special law will provide a clear legal basis for all sorts of post-quake restoration tasks, including relocation of homeless people, tax reduction or exemption for them, distribution of resources, institution of social welfare programs, and assignment of powers and responsibilities of governments at all levels involved in the tasks," he said.
"We expect the restoration work to last for around four years. So we have three to four years in mind as we plan for the effective period of the law," he said.
The New Party also plans to propose a similar bill, but it is more interested in gaining support from the other two parties for the establishment of a special committee in the legislature to supervise the enforcement of the emergency decree.
"In principle, we support the DPP's plan for a special law to handle the restoration work. But we are more eager to see the formation of the supervising committee," New Party lawmaker Elmer Feng (
DEATH THREAT: A MAC official said that it has urged Beijing to avoid creating barriers that would impede exchanges across the Strait, but it continues to do so People should avoid unnecessary travel to China after Beijing issued 22 guidelines allowing its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death “Taiwan independence separatists,” the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday as it raised its travel alert for China, including Hong Kong and Macau, to “orange.” The guidelines published last week “severely threaten the personal safety of Taiwanese traveling to China, Hong Kong and Macau,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a news conference in Taipei. “Following a comprehensive assessment, the government considers it necessary to elevate the travel alert to orange from yellow,” Liang said. Beijing has
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday said that the Chinese Communist Party was planning and implementing “major” reforms, ahead of a political conclave that is expected to put economic recovery high on the agenda. Chinese policymakers have struggled to reignite growth since late 2022, when restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted. The world’s second-largest economy is beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high unemployment among young people. Policymakers “are planning and implementing major measures to further deepen reform in a comprehensive manner,” Xi said in a speech at the Great Hall
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military