Government budget impasse drags on after rare cross-party talks

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) Closed-door discussions between senior government and opposition figures Friday failed to yield any progress on a standoff at the Legislature over a Cabinet-proposed central government budget plan for the fiscal year 2025.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei after the lunch meeting, Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁), legislative caucus whip of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), said it was "regrettable" that the Cabinet had not come up with any solutions and that his party would need to convene and discuss its next step.

Fu added that the Cabinet had "not yet learned to respect the public opinion in the country."

Opposition lawmakers have blocked the review of the government budget plan since the new session of the Legislature began at the end of September.

Friday's closed-door meeting was proposed by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the KMT and attended by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), his deputy Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) and other senior Cabinet officials.

Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and the opposition -- the KMT and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) -- also joined the event.

Han and Cho quickly hopped into their respective vehicles after leaving the restaurant where the meeting was held, with both declining to speak to reporters.

On the other hand, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) stressed that Friday's meeting merely aimed to provide an opportunity for members of the Cabinet and the Legislature to exchange views in a less formal setting and pave the way for inter-party negotiations at the Legislature.

Ker said the crux of the budget impasse should be dealt with formally and on the record at the Legislature, adding that he remained hopeful Han would convene inter-party negotiations as soon as possible.

Neither party has revealed details of the discussions.

The rare talks between the heads of the executive and legislative bodies from different parties drew significant media attention.

In his National Day address on Thursday, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), who concurrently chairs the DPP, also expressed hope that Friday's meeting would foster bipartisan cooperation.

The budget plan finalized by the Cabinet in August has yet to pass its first reading, a necessary step for it to be sent to various legislative committees for careful deliberation.

KMT and TPP lawmakers, who together form a majority in the Legislature, have blocked the plan on the grounds that it fails to earmark funds incurred as a result of an amended law or resolutions adopted earlier this year in the Legislature.