Following President Chen Shui-bian's (
Since 1991, the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC) has passed through seven rounds of amendments, a high number compared to the constitutional history of other nations. Nevertheless, the Constitution is still far from satisfactory and there have been calls for further amendments. The heart of the matter is that the current Constitution was drawn up for a nation that encompassed China and its vast population, rather than the small nation of Taiwan.
Constitutional amendments face many more hurdles in Taiwan than in other countries. Some of these reflect domestic pressures, such as the desire of conservatives to leave the main text intact, while adding and subtracting articles, to preserve the continuity of the ROC's constitutional "legitimacy." On the international front, Taiwan is also prevented from drawing up a new constitution for fear of international perceptions that it is seeking independence. Amendment is further hindered by the requirement of a three-quarters majority in the legislature to pass amendments. Each round of constitutional amendment has been confined to resolving urgent political matters. Constitutional reform has therefore undergone many twists and turns, reflecting ongoing conflicts and compromises.
In 1990, most people believed that the original spirit of the Constitution tended toward a Cabinet system, and therefore proposed amendments based on this understanding. Following then-president Lee Teng-hui's (
A year ago, the majority of people favored a shift from the current dual-executive system to a presidential system, under which there is a clearer division of power and responsibility. But following the surge of support that brought Ma Ying-jeou (
Now that constitutional amendment has built up some momentum, it should be directed at longer-term goals. The public should be allowed to participate in the debate, there should be bottom-up discussions between the political parties, and the public should be educated about the importance of the nation's fundamental document. This will establish the new constitution as a foundation of long-term political and administrative stability.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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