The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is appealing to the public for support on the government budget issue with eight nationwide policy information sessions, the first of which was held in Taichung yesterday.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) led several Cabinet members on stage, including Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱), who took turns to speak about the government’s budget and its policies
The Cabinet asked for a review of this year’s fiscal budget on Wednesday, saying that the cuts and freezes imposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan’s People Party (TPP) hamper the government’s ability to do its job and undermine national security.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
The opposition parties’ actions infringed on the public’s rights, and the freezes and cuts lacked popular support, Cho said.
It is the government’s responsibility, and the premier’s obligation, to request further reviews of the budget, he said, adding that these requests were made to protect the public’s rights and interests.
The budget cuts and freezes targeted the Executive Yuan’s efforts to improve infrastructure and further develop the nation, he said.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
Despite KMT Chairman Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) claims that the KMT’s actions were for the public, its proposals have been controversial and produced conflict, showing that the party did not care for the public, DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said.
The budget is the basis for national development, and it is the public who would suffer from the KMT’s and the TPP’s antics, DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said, adding that only when the public are in charge of the nation’s budget can development be assured.
President William Lai (賴清德) via a video at the event yesterday said that the KMT’s actions not only contradicted the policies of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), but also reflects how the party has transitioned from being the Chinese Communist Party’s enemy to its friend.
The KMT said it plans to hold more than 100 policy information sessions nationwide.
The KMT has not set a date for the first event, but it would be held in either Taipei or New Taipei City, KMT Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said, adding that Chu and other KMT legislators, local councilors and government officials would attend the events.
Local party chapters would assist recall groups to collect signatures for second-stage recall petitions, he added.
Additional reporting by Huang Hsu-lei
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first