A proposal to make presidential elections a “two-round system” was widely criticized yesterday, with lawmakers saying that it was unconstitutional, would subvert Taiwan’s political system and is a delusional idea that would waste resources.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) earlier this week proposed amendments to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法) that would require candidates to win a majority of votes and if no one garners more than 50 percent, a second-round election between the two top tickets should be held.
Article 63 of the act would be changed from the group of candidates who “get the most votes shall be elected” to “get a majority of votes shall be elected,” said Weng, who is a professor of law.
Photo: Chen Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
Taiwan should learn from France and Austria, which have two-round systems, she said.
However, lawmakers — including some from Weng’s own party — criticized the idea.
KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said that the proposal calls for a second-round vote — if required — two weeks after the first round, which “would require a lot of resources and come at a high cost to society.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said that the proposed changes would contravene the Constitution.
Weng’s proposal is a delusional and absurd idea, and exposes her ignorance of the law, Wu said.
Weng should read Article 2 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution (憲法增修條文), which states that “the presidential and the vice presidential candidates” must register jointly on the ballot, with “the pair that receives the highest number of votes” being elected, Wu said.
“To change the electoral system would require considerable discussion in society, as well as an extensive study on how it would affect expenses and resources,” she said.
It appears that KMT members believe a two-round system would benefit their party, she added.
DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) also said that the proposal ignores the Constitution.
“No matter what her aims are, Weng should not undermine the Constitution and subvert our political system,” Lin said.
Lin said that Weng has a political agenda, as her husband is Chen Chun-sheng (陳春生), a judge appointed by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the KMT.
“Weng is supposedly an expert in constitutional law, but it appears that she is trying to circumvent the Constitution, as she knows that the KMT would not be able to reach the threshold to amend it according to the rules — even with the support of the Taiwan People’s Party,” Lin said. “Maybe she is just seeking the media spotlight and attention on social media.”
In January’s presidential election, there were 19.54 million eligible voters, with 14.04 million casting ballots, Weng wrote in her motion seeking the amendment.
“For a ticket to win in the first round, it must obtain more than half of the ballots cast, or about 7.02 million votes,” she wrote.
“The DPP’s presidential ticket of Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and former representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) garnered 5.58 million votes, or 40.05 percent,” she wrote.
The DPP’s ticket did not win a majority and it did not win a majority in the legislature, creating a “rule by minority,” she added.
Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu and CNA
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS