The Presidential Office today submitted its own petition for a constitutional interpretation and preliminary injunction on a package of laws that expand the legislature’s powers of investigation.
President William Lai (賴清德) authorized attorney Hong Wei-sheng (洪偉勝) to submit the petition to the Judicial Yuan in the morning.
The Presidential Office is the latest to file for an interpretation, following the Democratic Progressive Party caucus on Wednesday and the Executive Yuan yesterday.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The constitutional challenge regards amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) and the Criminal Code, which went into effect on Tuesday after lawmakers overrode the Cabinet’s motion for reconsideration in a party-line vote.
The changes include fines and jail terms for holding the legislature in contempt, and requires the president to take questions from lawmakers during regular “state of the nation” addresses.
The president has clearly expressed his opposition to an expansion of legislative power, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧)said in a news release.
Lai emphasized that this is not opposition to legislative reforms, but any reform should be legal and constitutional, she said.
“On the basis of safeguarding the constitutional order and protecting the rights of the people, a petition for constitutional interpretation and a preliminary injunction has been formally submitted to the Constitutional Court,” she added.
Legal experts have said that the court is likely to consolidate the different challenges into one.
One expert speaking anonymously yesterday said it is likely to grant the injunction “as soon as possible,” likely by the beginning of next month.
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