Taiwanese Lawmakers at each other’s throats during Budget Review

At a session to review the country’s budget for a major infrastructure project, two female lawmakers got into a brawl.

The two legislators from opposing camps had their hands at each others throats while about a dozen of their colleges tried to separate them as the government of President Tsai Ing-wen pressed ahead with controversial reforms.

The controversy occurred due to President Tsai Ing-wen’s signature proposals which included building light rail lines, flood control measures and green energy facilities.

But the opposition party Kuomintang is against the project, saying it favours cities faithful to Tsai’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and has been devised to secure support for the party ahead of next year’s regional elections.

The project which will cost Tw$420 billion (USD 13.8 billion), have also been questioned by critics.

The morning review hearing was suspended following the brawl as Kuomintang lawmakers occupied the podium. Even after lunch, tensions and the clashes continued when opposition lawmakers honked air horns and tried to throw balloons filled with water at premier Lin Chuan.

One of the balloons flew near Lin and burst mid-air. He was forced to leave the chamber without delivering a report on the budget and the session was again abandoned.

Since Tsai resumed office in May last year, her popularity plummet to under 40 percent from nearly 70 percent as her government attempts to tackle a range of controversial issues from gay marriage to pension and judicial reforms.

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