Cabinet says it may seek constitutional interpretation on NT$10,000 handouts
Thursday was the deadline for the Executive Yuan to request lawmakers to reconsider a special provision to give out NT$10,000 cash handouts. The Cabinet said it would not submit such a request. It will, however, retain the decision to seek a constitutional interpretation on the matter when circumstances allow. As the Constitutional Court is still unable to hear a case, with only eight members, it seems that the power struggle has no end in sight.
The Executive Yuan announces that it will not request the Legislative Yuan to reconsider the special provision, in which the opposition-led legislature added a clause that will give out NT$10,000 cash handouts. That said, the Cabinet is considering another option.
Cho Jung-tai
Premier
Tomorrow, the president will promulgate the special provision as required by law, and it will enter effect. However, we still believe that the version passed by the Legislative Yuan contains constitutional flaws, and as such we must consider seeking a constitutional remedy based on constitutional mechanisms. We shall seek a constitutional interpretation at the appropriate time, in order to prevent further disputes over the constitutional order of separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
The Executive Yuan says it retains the decision to seek a constitutional interpretation on the cash handouts, since it effectively raises the budget of a bill proposed by the Cabinet. However, it may take a while before the case can open, since there are now not enough justices sitting on the Constitutional Court. The Cabinet also says it will submit a proposal to amend the current, final version of the special provision, and revert it to the original proposal that did not include the cash handouts. As things stand now, it appears that there could be no changes to the new law, and the NT$10,000 cash handouts will have to be rolled out by Oct. 31.
Lo Chih-chiang
Lawmaker (KMT)
Of course it’s regrettable. First of all, this allows tax surplus to be returned to the people. However, Premier Cho keeps insisting on going against Taiwanese public opinion.
Chen Pei-yu
DPP caucus
We respect the Executive Yuan’s decision, whether it’s requesting a revote or to seek a constitutional interpretation. We do hope to stand on the side of public opinion, but if the budget is being proposed in such an illegal way every single time, then there’s no way we can accept it. If a negative precedent is set as a result, then how will the country’s finances be sustainable?
Lawmakers of the ruling DPP urge against the NT$10,000 cash handouts, insisting that the clause that increases expenditures could violate the Constitution, while the opposition insists the original special provisions proposal was a statutory bill and thus falls outside the scope of Article 70 of the Constitution.
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2025-07-31
