Taiwan legislators brawl during debate over tax
Source: AFP |
June 26, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FIGHTING broke out in Taiwan's legislature yesterday as lawmakers scuffled and threw coffee during a debate on whether a controversial capital gains tax on share trading should be revised less than a year after it was brought in.
Discussions were brought to a virtual standstill after dozens of lawmakers from the ruling Kuomintang party clashed with opposition legislators as both groups tried to seize the chamber's podium.
TV images broadcast live showed two angry women legislators scuffling and an opposition parliamentarian spraying coffee at her Kuomintang counterparts.
A female Kuomintang legislator was also seen bursting into tears after she was forced off the podium by a male opponent.
The tax, which the government said at the time was part of its efforts to ensure "social justice", was approved by the ruling Kuomintang in July last year and took effect in January.
But since then the new tax has sparked waves of opposition from influential business groups and big stock traders.
Amid mounting calls to scrap the tax to boost falling trading volumes, the government decided to revise it, but the attempt faced strong objections from the three opposition parties.
Discussions were brought to a virtual standstill after dozens of lawmakers from the ruling Kuomintang party clashed with opposition legislators as both groups tried to seize the chamber's podium.
TV images broadcast live showed two angry women legislators scuffling and an opposition parliamentarian spraying coffee at her Kuomintang counterparts.
A female Kuomintang legislator was also seen bursting into tears after she was forced off the podium by a male opponent.
The tax, which the government said at the time was part of its efforts to ensure "social justice", was approved by the ruling Kuomintang in July last year and took effect in January.
But since then the new tax has sparked waves of opposition from influential business groups and big stock traders.
Amid mounting calls to scrap the tax to boost falling trading volumes, the government decided to revise it, but the attempt faced strong objections from the three opposition parties.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
