Tense relations between Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang and its informal ally, the People First Party, eased yesterday after the PFP backed away from a controversial draft bill that would have forced the KMT to return allegedly questionable assets.
In a vote in the legislature yesterday on whether to proceed to the second reading of the draft bill on political parties' improper acquisition of assets, the PFP - a splinter group of the KMT - decided not to side with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.The opposition, which holds a slim majority in the 210-seat legislature, outnumbered the DPP, placing the draft bill on the legislative agenda, pending review in a future first reading.
'We regret that the PFP once again sided with the KMT over the draft bill issue,' DPP legislative caucus chief Ke Chien-ming said later.
The KMT has long been considered one of the world's richest parties. Taiwan's opposition politicians complain the party's wealth gives it an unfair advantage. They also charge that some of it was accrued illegally
The PFP shocked the KMT on Tuesday when it supported a DPP proposal to have the legislature discuss whether to place the draft bill on the agenda yesterday. The KMT considered the move a betrayal. But after closed-door talks, the PFP backed away from yesterday's vote to take the bill to a second reading.
Political observers said that Tuesday's action by the PFP should be seen in the light of its desire to force a deal with the KMT over the December 9 elections of mayors and councillors in Taipei and Kaohsiung.