Opposition calls for talks on format of Lai's legislative report

Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) Opposition parties on Monday called for cross-party negotiations over how President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) should deliver a national affairs report at the Legislative Yuan, with most favoring a question-and-answer format.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) proposed a questions-first-answers-second format after Lai hosted a gathering of the heads of the five branches earlier Monday, saying he had invited the president to personally explain issues of concern to lawmakers.

Lai "gladly accepted" the invitation and is willing to deliver the national affairs report at the Legislative Yuan, Han said.

● Lai signals willingness to address legislature after 5-branch tea party

Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁), convener of the Kuomintang (KMT) legislative caucus, said the caucus respected Lai's willingness to report to the legislature and "accept oversight and questioning," but stressed that the question-and-answer format "must be confirmed through cross-party negotiations."

Fu said he expected the report to "truly dispel confusion" and clearly address major issues of concern, including budget issues, national security challenges and policy directions, so that they were "explained clearly and made clear" to lawmakers and the public.

"The best communication is to have questions and answers, without evasion," Fu said.

The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) legislative caucus also said the format should follow the Legislative Yuan Functioning Act and be decided through cross-party negotiations, stating that regardless of the format, the core objective should be "real questions and real answers."

The TPP caucus said the president should provide a "specific and in-depth report" on major national issues, including transparency over the military procurement budget and the U.S.-Taiwan trade and tariff agreement.

It also said Lai should "clearly explain" why, in its view, he "violated constitutional obligations by refusing to promulgate laws passed in the third reading by the Legislative Yuan."

Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus, said Lai has "always been very willing" to report to the Legislature, provided the process complies with the constitutional process.

Chen said if questions-first-answers-second is Han's preferred method, the DPP caucus hopes he will convene cross-party negotiations so that the format, procedures and topics for the report can all be discussed.

She added that the ruling party "of course still has an open attitude" toward other possible approaches.

(By James Thompson, Yeh Su-ping, Liu Kuan-ting and Chen Chun-hua) enditem/ls