Legislature passes budget, delays handover, DPP caucus protests

The Legislative Yuan recently passed the central government’s general budget in a third reading, yet media reports reveal that since the completion of that reading the legislature has still not formally transmitted the budget to the executive branch. In response to this serious administrative delay, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislative Yuan caucus voiced dissatisfaction and raised questions at today’s routine press conference. DPP caucus officials noted that, for a long time, civil society and most members of the Legislative Yuan, when exercising oversight, tend to focus on reviewing the Executive Yuan’s administrative efficiency or budget execution, while the Legislative Yuan itself rarely conducts self‑examination of its own document handling and subsequent administrative work on bills and budgets. Faced with the budget stalled inside the Legislative Yuan, legislators argue that the parliamentary administrative team must tighten its processes, publicly explain the reasons for the delay, and thoroughly review internal procedures.

The core of the issue lies in the statutory handling procedure for the fiscal year 115 (2026) central government general budget. Under the Constitution and the Budget Act, the budget must be proposed by the Executive Yuan, examined by Legislative Yuan committees, negotiated between parties, and passed through a third‑reading procedure. After the third reading, the Legislative Yuan typically issues a document sending the resolution to the Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan so that the Executive Yuan can implement the budget and related policies. However, since mid‑August when the third reading was completed, a considerable period has elapsed, and this financial blueprint—covering major national construction, social welfare, defense security, and civil‑servant salaries for the entire year—remains within the Legislative Yuan’s administrative system and has not been formally forwarded to the Executive Yuan. This procedural standstill has shocked observers and sparked a hidden dispute over administrative efficiency between the legislative and executive branches.

In today’s public remarks, the DPP caucus emphasized the principle of separation of powers and mutual oversight. The caucus representative stated that the parliament, as the highest legislative body, normally exerts strong oversight over every budget item and execution detail, demanding transparency and heightened efficiency from the executive. Yet when the Legislative Yuan’s own administrative procedures are clearly delayed, there is a lack of a corresponding self‑review mechanism and transparent explanation. This “strict with others, lenient with oneself” phenomenon not only damages the Legislative Yuan’s credibility but could also have material effects on forthcoming national governance. The DPP caucus called on the President of the Legislative Yuan and the relevant administrative units to confront the problem, proactively explain which step went wrong—whether it be cumbersome paperwork, unresolved legal interpretation, or other internal administrative lapses—and provide the public with a clear account.

From a broader political and constitutional perspective, the delayed transmission after the third reading often disrupts the operational rhythm of central government agencies. Although, before the fiscal year begins, the government can still rely on the Budget Act to handle recurring expenditures from the previous year, new‑year projects, major public works, and various policy subsidies require the budget to have completed the statutory process and been formally delivered before tendering, disbursement, and implementation planning can proceed. If the Legislative Yuan’s own administrative process postpones the budget’s delivery, it effectively compresses the executive’s preparation and execution timeline, potentially provoking a war of words between the Legislative Yuan and the Executive Yuan over administrative sluggishness and further heightening tensions between parties.

The episode of the budget stuck inside the Legislative Yuan also underscores the importance of parliamentary administrative reform. For a long time, public attention has focused on political battles in the chamber, bill votes, and committee debates, while often overlooking the Legislative Yuan’s role as a large public institution, whose staff’s administrative efficiency and document‑processing speed are equally crucial to the smooth operation of democracy. The DPP caucus’s public demand for self‑review not only expresses displeasure with the current delay but also seeks to push the parliamentary administrative system toward stricter, more transparent, and more efficient standards, preventing similar administrative flaws in the future and ensuring that the state machinery operates within its legal framework.

(Source: Central News Agency)