Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday he was open to the idea of a no-confidence vote in the legislature to topple the Cabinet.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chin-de (
Speaking to reporters at the Grand Hotel after attending a national drug control conference, Chang said he respected the president's and legislators' positions on toppling the Cabinet to pave the way for a dissolving of the legislature.
The Constitution stipulates that the president may, within 10 days following the legislative approval of a no-confidence vote against the premier, dissolve the legislature.
As of Friday, 46 out of the the 83 DPP legislators had endorsed Chen Chin-de's motion, 26 signatures short of the one-third threshold required to send the motion to the legislature.
Chen Chin-de said he would work toward getting more DPP legislators on board.
Explaining the rationale behind the motion, he said the prevailing disorder in the pan-blue-dominated legislature had seriously hindered administrative operations and that "now is the time to put an end to the farce."
Several DPP legislators, however, have expressed doubts about the no-confidence motion, which has also drawn flak from legislators in the opposition.
DPP legislative whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said on Saturday it was unusual for lawmakers from the governing party to seek to topple the Cabinet, adding that any major decision involving the party should be debated and passed by the DPP legislative caucus.
Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), executive director of Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Central Policy Committee, said yesterday that the KMT would not comment on the no-confidence motion proposal until it had determined whether the proposal was anything more than "a political facade" on the part of the DPP.
Responding to reactions to the proposal, Chen Chin-de said yesterday that divergence of opinion within the DPP was constructive, adding that the multiplicity of voices reflected the "nature of the DPP as a great party."
The Constitution states that a no-confidence vote should be held within three days after a motion is sent to the legislature.
Taiwan Solidarity Union legislative whip Kuo Lin-yung (
His party would not support Chen Chin-de's motion but did not fear a no-confidence vote, Kao said.
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