Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) convened the Legislative Yuan this afternoon for cross-party discussions on the general budget.
The central government budget this year saw significant cuts, and Han hopes that the Executive Yuan would not request a reconsideration bill and instead allow the Legislative Yuan to finalize the budget through additional adjustments, he said.
The Executive Yuan has highlighted 12 areas where the general budget has serious issues, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said in a news conference this morning.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
This afternoon’s meeting presents a rare opportunity to discuss the budget, which should prioritize the public's good, Wu added.
The DPP would do its best to negotiate in good faith and hopes that the executive and legislative branches of government can propose solutions that would benefit the public, she said.
Any solutions must comply with the Constitution, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said.
People are waiting to see what creative strategies Han uses to negotiate and whether the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party go along with it, Ker added.
Han hopes to ease the tensions between the executive branch and legislature, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) said in a media interview at the Legislative Yuan today.
Han has always negotiated in good faith, while the DPP deliberately continues to instigate confrontations between the opposition and ruling parties, Wang said.
Not only did Han recently participate in consultations led by President William Lai (賴清德), but he is also willing to establish a cross-party platform for negotiations, Wang added.
To resolve the disputes within the different branches of government, the ruling party and Executive Yuan must be genuinely willing to find a solution, Wang said.
However, Ker has continued to talk about the ongoing recall campaigns against the KMT and suggested the Executive Yuan should request a reconsideration of the budget bill in its entirety, she said.
This shows that the DPP is not interested in easing tensions or solving issues but instead seeks confrontation with the opposition parties, Wang added.
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