The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said yesterday it had reservations about the need to convene extra legislative sessions after the end of the current session even though 65 percent of the bills on the Cabinet’s priority list are still awaiting review.
Extra sessions were not needed, said Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟), KMT caucus deputy secretary-general.
The legislature should not spend time convening extra sessions after every regular session, he said.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) said extra sessions were “a bad habit.”
“The legislature fails to make the best use of its time during each session and then wastes more public funds on extra sessions,” Wu said.
“This is why the legislature’s image has deteriorated,” Wu said.
The Executive Yuan listed 52 bills it wanted the legislature to prioritize, including three “green” bills on renewable energy, carbon dioxide emission reduction and energy management.
Also on the list was a proposed amendment to the Organic Act of the Executive Yuan (行政院組織法) to downsize the Cabinet, an amendment to the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) that would require rally organizers report their plans to police and proposals to allow Chinese students to enroll in local schools.
As of last Monday, only 18 of the priority bills had been passed. Thirty-one were pending review or negotiations while three proposals have yet to be put to preliminary review.
Lawmakers had already agreed to extend their spring session by about two weeks to June 16.
But KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) said the legislature was hoping to “make up for the time wasted during the Democratic Progressive Party’s boycott” by holding an extra session, however, the number of additional days was negotiable.
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