The Legislative Yuan passed a bill on Wednesday to revitalize farming villages, and a fund of 150 billion NT dollars will be devoted to the project. President Ma Ying-jeou welcomed the result and called it the best gift for Taiwan. But the opposition party criticized that the KMT is simply using this project to gain unfair advantages in the yearend elections.

Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng hosted a birthday banquet for President Ma Ying-jeou at the Army Commander's Residence on Wednesday evening.

Many high-ranking government officials and party lawmakers were also on hand to help the president celebrate his birthday.

Earlier in the day, lawmakers had passed five new statutes on the final day of an extraordinary legislative session.

In response to pan-green accusations that the Statute for Farming Village Revitalization was a ploy to win votes in the year-end elections,

Ma reiterated that the 150 billion NT revitalization fund would be managed by local governments, rather than the central government.

As a result, areas that fail to submit a concrete reconstruction plan will not receive any funds.