Taiwan's fight over who controls new laws is heating up, with the ruling and opposition camps now openly at odds over the Cabinet's power to block bills.

• Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu attacked the Cabinet for refusing to countersign bills passed by parliament.
• DPP Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Lai Jui-lung backed the Cabinet, saying it does not have to sign off on laws it sees as unconstitutional.
• KMT rival Ko Chih-en said budgets passed by parliament must be signed and carried out, and called for talks between the parties.
• Both sides also clashed over cash handouts: President Lai Ching-te promised NT$10,000 per person next year, while the KMT wants a second NT$10,000 paid out before the end of this year.
• A separate fight over how tax money is split between Taipei and Kaohsiung has become a campaign flashpoint, with each side accusing the other of shortchanging the south.

Outlook: Expect the standoff to drag on as the cash handout and tax-sharing bills move through parliament ahead of the Kaohsiung mayoral race.