The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), saying he had undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy.
The motion was approved 61-50 by lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a legislative majority.
Under the motion, a roll call vote for impeachment would be held on May 19 next year, after various hearings are held and Lai is given the chance to defend himself.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The move came after Lai on Monday last week did not promulgate an amendment passed by the legislature that would have given local governments a larger share of public revenues.
It was the first time in contemporary Taiwanese history that a president had failed to promulgate a law enacted by lawmakers.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) had declined to countersign the legislation, saying that the legislation would have hurt Taiwan’s fiscal sustainability.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Lai said Cho’s move made it impossible for him to publicly announce the new law.
KMT caucus convener Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) said the impeachment was filed because Lai undermined the country’s democracy and constitutional order, and contravened the Constitution since taking office.
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the president’s alleged breaches of constitutional order should be addressed through impeachment proceedings to highlight the Legislative Yuan’s role under a democratic constitutional system.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) and Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) accused the opposition of treating the Constitution too lightly and using impeachment as a political game.
The motion was a partisan attack that would not meet the two-third legislative threshold required to impeach Lai, Wu said, accusing the opposition of trying to humiliate the president.
Before the planned roll call vote, the Legislative Yuan is to hold public hearings on Jan. 14 and 15 to hear opinions from members of civil society about the impeachment.
Lai would be invited to explain his position during the legislature’s review sessions scheduled for Jan. 21 and 22, and May 13 and 14.
A separate hearing on April 27 would invite government officials and other parties to give their testimonies, followed by questioning by legislators.
Under the Constitution, impeachment motions against the president or vice president must be proposed by at least half of all legislators and approved by a two-thirds of the Legislative Yuan before being submitted to the Constitutional Court.
If at least two-thirds of the court’s justices agree, the impeachment would be upheld and the impeached person would be removed from office.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
REBUFFED: In response to Chinese criticism over recent arms sales, Washington urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of threats and intimidation Washington’s long-term commitment to Taiwan would not change, the US Department of State said yesterday, urging Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful bilateral dialogues. The remarks came in response to a backlash from Beijing about Washington’s latest approval of arms sales to Taiwan. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US has asked to purchase an arms package, including Tactical Mission Network Software; AH-1W helicopter spare and repair parts; M109A7 self-propelled howitzers; HIMARS long range precision strike systems; tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles; Javelin
RSS