Taipei: The Legislative Yuan has passed a motion to begin impeachment proceedings against President Lai Ching-te, accusing him of undermining Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy. The motion was carried by a vote of 60 to 51, with support from lawmakers of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a majority in the legislature.
According to Focus Taiwan, the motion sets the stage for a roll call vote in the Legislature on May 19, following a series of hearings where Lai will have the opportunity to present his case. This unprecedented move follows President Lai’s failure to promulgate an amendment on December 15, which would have allocated a larger share of public revenues to local governments.
Premier Cho Jung-tai had previously refused to countersign the legislation, citing concerns over fiscal sustainability, which Lai claimed prevented him from announcing the new law. KMT caucus convener Fu Kun-chi and TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang have both criticized Lai for allegedly violating the constitution, asserting that the impeachment process is necessary to uphold democratic principles.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) representatives, however, have condemned the impeachment motion as politically motivated. DPP lawmakers Chung Chia-pin and Wu Szu-yao argue that the move is a partisan attack unlikely to achieve the required two-thirds legislative majority needed for impeachment.
The Legislative Yuan has scheduled public hearings for January 14 and 15 to gather input from civil society regarding the case. President Lai is expected to present his defense during review sessions on January 21-22 and May 13-14, with additional hearings planned for April 27 to include testimonies from government officials and other stakeholders.
As per the ROC Constitution, an impeachment against a president or vice president requires support from two-thirds of the Legislative Yuan and must be upheld by a similar majority in the Constitutional Court to result in removal from office.
