TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Eric Chu (朱立倫), chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, sharply criticized President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) during a party leadership meeting on Wednesday (July 16) for what he characterized as their failure to align with public interests. Chu's pointed remarks came in the wake of the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, passing a controversial cash distribution law last Friday that mandates a universal cash handout of NT$10,000 (approximately US$341) to each Taiwanese citizen.
The opposition leader directly challenged President Lai's assessment of the handout's value, asserting that NT$10,000 (US$341) would adequately cover a household's monthly grocery expenses. Chu emphasized the practical utility of the payment, suggesting citizens could allocate the funds toward various household necessities during economically challenging times. He accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) of subordinating economic concerns to political calculations and propagating three significant misrepresentations about the program, particularly claiming the payments would burden future generations with debt.
Defending the economic rationale behind the cash distribution, Chu explained that government tax revenues fundamentally derive from public consumption and commercial transactions. The KMT chairman argued that returning tax collection surpluses to citizens represents sound fiscal policy rather than irresponsible spending. He rejected the ruling party's constitutional objections, countering that the cash distribution law did not technically constitute a budgetary measure and therefore remained within the legislature's authority. Chu accused DPP leadership of deliberately mischaracterizing the legal framework to undermine the initiative.
Pivoting to recent natural disasters, the opposition leader called for greater government compassion toward victims of severe weather events that have recently devastated communities across southern Taiwan. Residents in these regions have endured consecutive typhoons and widespread flooding that destroyed homes and infrastructure. Chu pledged that KMT lawmakers would provide unwavering support in the Legislative Yuan for increased disaster relief funding and expanded subsidies for affected communities, positioning his party as more responsive to immediate public needs than the governing administration. ◼
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$29.3)