Ruling and opposition lawmakers yesterday agreed to invite president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to give a state of the nation address at the Legislative Yuan after his inauguration on May 20.
The consensus was reached during cross-caucus negotiations convened by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).
Details on when and how the address is to be conducted are to be discussed in new cross-caucus negotiations on Monday.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi said that the KMT caucus’ proposal to invite Lai to give the address was based on Article 15-2 of the Act on Exercising Legislative Yuan Powers (立法院職權行使法).
The invitation is also consistent with the Constitution in that the president should deliver a state of the nation address to the Legislative Yuan, he added.
Fu was referring to Article 4-3 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, which stipulates that “when the Legislative Yuan convenes each year, it may hear a report on the state of the nation by the president.”
Fu said Lai had previously expressed a willingness to make such an appearance, and the KMT would respect whatever format he chooses for his address.
However, it would be best if the president’s address came before the premiere’s interpellation, Fu said, adding that the KMT hoped having the president deliver a state of the nation address would become standard practice.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that governing and opposition lawmakers are creating history with the invitation for the president to address the legislature.
As to whether the president’s speech should precede the premier’s interpellation, Ker said the issue warrants further discussion.
Questions remained as to whether lawmakers would be allowed to question the president after the speech.
Ker said that the Constitution should be the final arbitrator of what is permissible and demanding that the president answer questions on the spot is unconstitutional.
He expressed the hope that the legislature can make history instead of being locked in constant infighting, which harms the nation.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) said that a new legislative session is an opportune time for changes, urging all parties whose opinions differ on how a presidential question-and-answer segment should be conducted to work together and move forward, not backward.
Constitutional law expert Chen In-chin (陳英鈐) said the Constitution does not explicitly state whether the president or the premier should go first in speaking before the legislature.
Most importantly, the Legislative Yuan cannot force the president to deliver their address before the premier does, he said, adding that both sides should talk about a suitable time.
The president appearing before the legislature to deliver a state of the nation address is fundamentally different than the premier appearing before the legislature for interpellation, said Chen, a professor at the National Central University’s Graduate Institute of Law and Government.
Taiwan has a semi-presidential system, with an executive branch legally beholden to answer to the legislative branch, while the president answers to the people, not the legislature, he said.
A state of the nation address allows the president to explain their policy platform to the people, but does not make them answerable to the legislature, Chen said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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