Opposition takes aim at premier after rejecting reconsideration request

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Opposition lawmakers on Friday criticized Premier Cho Jung-tai's (卓榮泰) repeated use of Taiwan's reconsideration mechanism, after voting down the Cabinet's request to revisit amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures.

The request was rejected 59-50 in a disclosed ballot, leaving intact amendments passed on Nov. 14. The Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) hold a combined majority in the 113-seat chamber.

Speaking with reporters, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said the vote showed the opposition was "defending the normal functioning of the constitutional system" by rejecting the Cabinet's "baseless" request.

"Whenever the premier sees a bill he doesn't like, he files for reconsideration, treating it like a children's game," Lai said.

Lai said that Cho had filed more reconsideration requests than any other premier in history -- all of which have failed. "This is an executive branch so arrogant it pretends the Legislature doesn't even exist."

TPP Legislator Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) said the opposition voted to block what it viewed as improper cuts of more than NT$200 billion to local government revenues.

"Today was a battle to restore order and defend local government subsidies," Chang said.

Under Taiwan's political system, the executive branch can order the Legislature to revisit bills it considers difficult to carry out.

The Cabinet approved the reconsideration proposal on Nov. 27, arguing the amendments would strain the central government's finances and force it to take on an additional NT$264.6 billion (US$8.43 billion) in debt next year, exceeding the annual borrowing cap.

The request was the eighth made by the Cabinet in just over a year.

The previous seven, like Friday's, were also voted down.