Tue, Feb 19, 2002 page1

• Parties lining up support for showdown vote today

  • By Crystal Hsu / STAFF REPORTER
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  As the legislature is to vote on the Cabinet's request to void the recent revision to funding rules today, all parties made last-ditch efforts yesterday to drum up support for their positions.

  Backers of the veto motion slightly outnumbered the naysayers, with a handful caught between toeing the party line and guarding the interest of their constituencies.

  After four hours of closed-door discussion yesterday afternoon, the PFP decided to vote against the Cabinet's proposal in order to uphold what it called the legislature's dignity.

  "The caucus has agreed to take a uniform stance on the matter [today]," PFP legislative leader Diane Lee (李慶安) told reporters at 6pm. "We will uphold the amendment to avoid undermining the dignity of the lawmaking body."

  With 45 seats in the legislature, the second-largest opposition party will have a critical, if not decisive, role in the vote's outcome.

  PFP lawmaker Tsao Yuan-chang (曹原彰) said he has not yet made up his mind about which way to vote. "I will need more time before arriving at a conclusion," he said on the phone last night. "I don't want to defy the party's order or compromise the interests of my constituents."

  Tsao, who represents Matsu, said his constituency risks losing millions in aid funds if he votes along party lines, as the Cabinet controls more than 90 percent of Matsu's funds.

  Tsao is not alone, however. A dozen colleagues from across the political spectrum all feel the same pressure.

  What is vexing them is a funding overhaul adopted by the legislature during a marathon session on Jan. 17 that would allow local governments to keep a bigger share of tax revenues.

  Local administrators, led by Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the KMT, maintain the reform is necessary to ease their financial woes. But the Cabinet has refused to carry out the reform on the grounds it will have to raise an additional NT$54.3 billion this year to finance the policy.

  Premier Yu Shyi-kun has said he cannot fulfill the funding mandate without squeezing spending for other programs previously approved by the legislature. Yu and key aides have lobbied hard for the veto motion over the past two weeks.

  The DPP was upbeat last night that the veto proposal would prevail. "The opposition camp may not muster enough votes to override the veto motion," DPP Legislative Whip Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said. "Some opposition colleagues have pledged support for our cause."

  To ensure a victory, the DPP caucus has issued a top mobilization order asking all its 89 members to attend the today's vote.

  DPP Legislator Lin Ching-hsin (林進興) said he has not formed a voting decision yet.

  Lin, whose constituency of Kaohsiung City will gain NT$12 billion in revenue income under the revision, expressed fear of alienating his supporters if he votes it down.

  He said his predicament is aggravated by the party's refusal to punish defiant members. "The policy denies me an excuse not to put constituent interests ahead of partisan concerns," Lin said.

  To play it safe, Lin said he would check six colleagues representing Kaohsiung City about which way to vote.

  Meanwhile, the KMT decided last night to mete out disciplinary measures against members who fail to uphold the funding amendment in any manner.

  "After much consideration, the party found `proper' punishment necessary to ensure maximum unity," KMT Legislative Whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) said. He would not specify what the penalty is.

  A few KMT lawmakers have said they would abstain from the vote in a passive show of protest against the funding overhaul.
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