Taiwan's ruling DPP is turning a fight over slashed presidential funds into an attack line for the coming local elections, bad news for KMT lawmakers seeking city and county posts.

• KMT lawmaker Weng Hsiao-ling pushed cuts to President Lai Ching-te's discretionary budget, and the cuts passed.
• The cuts killed orders for Mid-Autumn gift boxes from sheltered workshops that employ disabled workers, and wiped out the small bonuses presidents hand out when visiting troops.
• The DPP says eight KMT lawmakers now running for mayor or county chief — including Chiang Chi-chen, Hsieh Lung-chieh and Ko Chih-en — all backed the cuts and should answer for them.
• Critics argue the money is the only pot the president can use flexibly, so cutting it blocks routine duties like condolence payments after disasters.
• The charge is that the KMT is deliberately paralyzing the government rather than trimming waste.

Outlook: Expect the budget fight to become a central campaign theme as Taiwan heads into its nine-in-one local elections.