The Legislative Yuan yesterday rejected the Executive Yuan’s request to reconsider amendments passed last month to expand the legislature’s power, setting the stage for a potential constitutional challenge to the measures.
The vote came after the Legislative Yuan convened on Wednesday and Thursday to examine the request made last week by the Cabinet, with the approval of President William Lai (賴清德), for the legislature to reconsider the amendments.
Lawmakers voted 62-51 to reject the request to reconsider amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) and amendments to the Criminal Code. A request for reconsideration can be overturned by a simple majority vote.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The 62 votes comprised the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) 52 lawmakers, two independents ideologically aligned with the party and the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) eight lawmakers.
The Cabinet said the amendments are “difficult to implement,” because they contravene constitutional interpretations concerning the legislature’s scope of power.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the caucus would seek a judgement from the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the amendments after the passed bills are announced by the president.
As a constitutional judgement could take some time, the caucus would also file a motion with the Constitutional Court for “a preliminary injunction” to keep the amended laws from being implemented before a final ruling is made, Ker said.
Executive Yuan spokesman Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) said the Cabinet would also seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court after the laws take effect once they are announced by the president.
The Cabinet would make the petition on its own, rather than jointly with the DPP caucus, following discussions with academics and ministers without portfolio, Chen said.
Presidential Office spokeswoman Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧) said Lai would also consider whether to file a similar petition for a constitutional ruling after receiving the amendments.
The president is the “guardian of democratic constitutional governance,” and has the duty to safeguard the constitutional system and act to protect the people’s rights, she said.
The Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) states that petitions concerning the constitutionality of laws can be lodged by state organs or legislators, with the latter having to obtain the approval of at least one-fourth of the legislature.
The KMT and the TPP have said that the measures are necessary to enhance legislative oversight over the government, because existing legislative powers lack teeth and allow the government to avoid providing critical information requested by lawmakers.
KMT lawmakers addressed a gathering of its supporters outside the Legislative Yuan after the vote, saying the amendments would “allow sunlight into the legislature” and “expose the ruling party’s corruption.”
TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the rejection of the Cabinet’s reconsideration request is “a crucial moment in Taiwan’s democratic history,” as it signifies the legislative reforms that failed to pass in the past 30 years were finally achieved.
He called on Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to accept the legislature’s decision in accordance with the Constitution.
In response to the DPP caucus’ plan to seek a constitutional interpretation, Huang said the TPP caucus respects its right to do so.
However, what mattered for the people is for the legislature to use its new powers to investigate and hold hearings to “reveal the truth in the corruption cases that the DPP government has failed to explain,” Huang said.
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
SECURITY CONCERNS: An FBI agent said it was surprising that the shooter, whose motive remains unknown, was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former US president Donald Trump yesterday called for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him injured, but “fine,” and the shooter and a rally-goer dead. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting His aides said he was in “great spirits” and doing well. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place,” he
FRONTLINE DEFENDERS: While air defense forces were placed on alert, Lai visited the navy’s 131st Fleet in Keelung, calling it a vital pillar in the nation’s defense The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said it was monitoring “waves” of missile tests in China’s Inner Mongolia and that its air defense forces were on alert. From 4am yesterday, the ministry detected “multiple waves of test launches” by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force in Inner Mongolia, about 2,000km from Taiwan, it said. The military are continuously monitoring developments and the air defense forces are on alert, the ministry said, without giving details. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not answer calls seeking comment outside of office hours. The Rocket Force is in charge of China’s conventional and nuclear