The DPP Legislative Caucus has argued that the Kuomintang’s analogy between the Taiwan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) is baffling. In response, the Kuomintang today (30th) states that it is totally unacceptable for the DPP to hold “double standards in judging the Kuomintang on the matter.”
Back then, the DPP questioned that the then KMT government had not fully communicated with the society on the signing of the CSSTA. By the same token, the Kuomintang now calls on the DPP government to also accept the oversight of public opinion and the Congress on the TIFA talks, saying that if something is going to be potentially impacting people’s livelihood, it must first go through a “public hearing” to solicit opinions from all sides. It should be clear that international economic and trade negotiations should be open and transparent. With their allegation, the KMT asks: “Does the DPP government intend to conduct TIFA negotiations by the back door?”
The Kuomintang calls on the DPP to not criticize for the sake of criticism and stop attempting to turn the TIFA negotiations into a tool for domestic political attacks. As an opposition party, the Kuomintang has the responsibility to oversee the government and remind it that all economic and trade negotiations should obtain support and trust from the society. The KMT believes that “information transparency,” “democratic participation,” and “parliamentary oversight” are essential to economic and trade talks. The DPP should strive for people’s benefits, instead of shifting focus by smearing opponents. The DPP’s behaviors only make it clear to the people that it is a political party that is unable to govern properly, but only good at political struggles.
