00:00Taiwan's political parties are once again trading barbs,
00:05this time over an unusual legal move by the government.
00:09On Monday, Premier Zhu Rongtai announced he would not countersign an amended fiscal bill
00:13that the president is legally required to sign into law.
00:17He says the changes are unconstitutional.
00:30The new changes would increase the amount of revenue the central government needs to share with local governments.
00:49The ruling Democratic Progressive Party says it would force the government to take up to $18.7 billion in debt,
00:56while crowding out spending on other important sectors like defense, AI development and social welfare.
01:02The cabinet had previously asked the legislature to reconsider the spending bill, but that request was rejected.
01:09President Lai Qingde has signaled his support for the cabinet.
01:26But the opposition, Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party have blasted the move, saying it disrespects the legislature.
01:35You don't have to be qualified, you don't have to be qualified.
01:38What difference is the difference between the government and the government?
01:41No government, no the same as the government's rights, it's the same as the government's rights.
01:47When the government's rights become the truth, it's the same as the people who are angry and stand out.
01:56With Zhu Rongtai's refusal, the legislature can now choose to initiate a no-confidence motion against him.
02:02If it passes, the premier would be forced to resign, but he can also ask the president to dissolve the legislature.
02:10For now though, the opposition appears unlikely to pursue that path.
02:14But the deadlock between the ruling and opposition camps remains, with neither side backing down.
02:19Lufi Li and Ellen Lu for Taiwan Plus.
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