Zhuo Rongtai does not countersign the Elderly Welfare Law. Xu Yuzhen: Does the DPP county mayor candidate also agree?

In response to the Executive Yuan's refusal to counter-sign the amendment to the Elderly Welfare Act passed on the third reading by the Legislative Yuan, Executive President Toh Wing-tai said that Congress should not undermine the Executive Yuan's policy plan by undermining intergenerational justice. Xu Yuzhen, secretary-general of the Kuomintang League, criticized the amendment of the law by the National Assembly to reduce the burden of health insurance for the elderly and allow eligible elders across the country to receive unanimous protection. However, the Executive Yuan refused to countersign it on the grounds of intergenerational justice and financial planning. Xu Yuzhen requires all DPP county and mayor candidates to publicly commit to whether they will maintain the existing elderly health insurance subsidies and clearly explain future policy directions.

Zhuo Yongtai said in an interview yesterday that the government already has an existing system for caring for the elderly in operation, and the Executive Yuan will take the initiative and be willing to have a good discussion with the Legislative Yuan, instead of forcing the Executive Yuan to vote to ignore the national financial plan and destroy the entire plan for governance.

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Xu Yuzhen pointed out that the Legislative Yuan's deliberation, voting and passing of laws in accordance with the law are the normal operations of democratic constitutionalism and are not "forcing the Executive Yuan" as Zhuo Rongtai said. If the Executive Yuan has different opinions on the content of the bill, it already has communication and relief mechanisms under the constitutional system. It cannot use its refusal to countersign as a tool to veto the law just because it is dissatisfied with the results of the congressional vote.

Xu Yuzhen said that on the one hand, Zhuo Rongtai refused to countersign, and on the other hand, he claimed that he was willing to negotiate. This was basically a denial of the congressional resolution and then asked the Legislative Yuan to accept the conditions of the Executive Yuan. Refusing to countersign is not negotiation, and the Executive Yuan has no power to require Congress to pass only laws it is satisfied with.

Xu Yuzhen asked, the county mayor election is about to take place on November 28. Since the DPP Central Committee believes that expanding the elderly health insurance subsidy is against generational justice and even refuses to countersign on this ground, does the DPP county mayor candidate also agree with the central position? After being elected in the future, will the current local government’s elderly health insurance subsidies be reviewed or even cancelled? The DPP cannot criticize the central government for unfair subsidies for the elderly, but local governments regard the same policy as a political achievement to care for the elderly.

Xu Yuzhen requires all DPP county and mayor candidates to publicly commit to whether they will maintain the existing elderly health insurance subsidies and clearly explain future policy directions. Welfare for the elderly cannot be provided by the central government and another by the local government, let alone issuing checks before the election and cutting benefits after the election.