《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 KMT moves to cut conscription agency budget for Sun snub

By Cheng Hung-ta and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） yesterday moved to cut this year’s budget for the Ministry of the Interior’s National Conscription Agency by NT$8.23 million （US$259,605） for what the party called the ministry’s failure to discipline socialist campaigner Chen Wei-ting （陳為廷） when he was serving as a conscript.

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In April last year, former Sunflower movement leader Chen refused to bow to a portrait of Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen （孫逸仙） during a conclusion ceremony at the Chenggong Ling （成功嶺） training camp in Taichung.

He was not disciplined by the National Conscription Agency, the KMT said.

The agency’s budget should be cut because it failed to uphold discipline in Chen’s case last year, KMT Legislator Yang Cheng-wu （楊鎮浯） said, adding that Chen’s actions were a clear breach of military rules and regulations.

According to Yang’s proposal, the agency would lose funding for its educational and vocational programs for conscripts performing civilian alternative service, as well as funds covering other administrative costs in the program, such as stipends for lecturers and rent for venues.

The KMT has proposed more than 1,000 motions in connection with the unfinished general budget review for this fiscal year, not including motions that were withdrawn after negotiations.

Democratic Progress Party （DPP） Legislator Lee Chun-yi （李俊俋） criticized the move on Facebook.

“To boycott the general budget review for the 2017 fiscal year, the KMT has proposed thousands of ludicrous motions to stall negotiations,” Lee wrote.

The motions include a proposal to cut the budget for fire-alarm systems in public residential projects servicing disadvantaged groups, Lee said.

“Attending meetings with these people is a trial of patience and wisdom. The extraordinary session is ongoing and we will pass this trial,” Lee added.

Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan （蘇嘉全） convened a legislative session yesterday in the hope that KMT lawmakers would reconsider “delaying motions” which had stonewalled passing of the budget review, adding that the review must be passed tomorrow if the government is to rubber stamp a budget before the Lunar New Year holiday.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES