TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Ruling and opposition party legislators were unable to reach a consensus during a lunchtime meeting on Friday (Oct. 11) that aimed to break the deadlock over the Cabinet’s proposed government budget.
Meeting at a Taipei restaurant, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), and others from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Kuomintang (KMT), and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) discussed the budget bills for two hours. Afterward, Cho praised a “nutritious lunch” from which new negotiations could begin, while opposition party members said the DPP failed to propose meaningful solutions, per CNA.
KMT and TPP Caucus Leaders Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) and Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) both said it was regrettable that no specific plans to break the deadlock were proposed. Fu said the KMT would convene a caucus meeting later that day for further discussion on the issue.
Huang said he was grateful to Han for arranging the meeting, and said he had played the role of “peace-maker.” Fu likewise praised Han for arranging the meeting, and said the KMT would respect his direction going forward.
The DPP was more optimistic about the results of the meeting, and the party’s Caucus Leader Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) and Cho both said it was a good start.
Ker also expressed confidence that the deadlock would be resolved quickly. He added that each party reiterated their previously stated positions at the meeting, but said this would not prevent him from discussing the issue in the future.
Meanwhile, DPP Secretary-General Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said the atmosphere at the meeting was good. She said she expects Han will convene another similar meeting to discuss the budget next week.
Since they were introduced in September, the KMT and TPP have used their legislative majority to vote down the DPP-led Cabinet’s draft budget bills.
The opposition said the budget bills were voted down due to inadequate funding for certain items for which their legislators had increased spending earlier in the year. Land use compensation payments for Indigenous people, funding for government acquisition of food stocks, and other funding items were cited.
