SSupporters of Taiwan’s new president are protesting attempts by pro-China rebels to curtail his powers.
Kuomintang lawmakers on Tuesday took the final steps toward passing a law that would require President William Lai Qingtoku to give an annual address, appear in person, answer questions and provide various documents when asked. started.
The law also allows officials to be jailed if they are found to have lied to the legislature, a change that could leave Mr. Rai’s officials stuck in court proceedings. .
The proposed bill could be passed within days and make it difficult for Mr. Lai to govern the semiconductor hub at the epicenter of the U.S.-China conflict. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party argues that the bill was rushed through the legislature without sufficient consultation, while the Nationalist Party insists that all appropriate procedures were followed.
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“This appears to be an attempt to undermine the government’s ability to govern effectively,” said Wen-ti Song, non-resident fellow at the Taipei-based Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
He added: “Concerns about legislative overreach are growing as the opposition moves to pass this controversial bill with incredible speed in the absence of any meaningful public or parliamentary debate. “It’s increasing,” he added.
Underscoring how controversial the bill is, lawmakers scuffled inside the Capitol last week, leaving several people with minor injuries.
On Tuesday, Democratic Party lawmakers tried to slow progress on the bill. Both the ruling party and the Nationalist Party waved posters with slogans on them, creating a lively atmosphere in the normally quiet parliament.
Hundreds of Rai supporters gathered outside the building in a light rain to call for further consultation on the KMT’s plans. Some of them shouted, “Without debate, there is no democracy.”
Activists appear to be preparing for larger demonstrations, setting up tents, medical stations and areas to store food and water donations.
Some of Lai’s supporters point to the 2014 Sunflower Movement, when tens of thousands of protesters disrupted lawmakers’ activities for weeks.
The dispute at the time centered on the Kuomintang’s plans to boost trade with China, which has vowed to one day take control of the democratically run island of 23 million people, by force if necessary. . This movement ultimately succeeded in forcing the Kuomintang to cancel these plans.
In the three-party presidential election earlier this year, Lai received only 40% of the vote, but the Kuomintang won the most seats in the Legislative Yuan and assumed the role of speaker.
This will complicate his next four years in office and is likely to involve fractious relations with China. The Chinese government refused to engage her with Lai’s predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, because she did not recognize the island as part of China. Instead, she increased military, diplomatic, and economic pressure on her government.
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In his inaugural address on Monday, Lai said China should stop military threats against Taiwan and discuss issues like restarting tourism, which has been suspended in recent years, with the government on an equal footing.
China harshly criticized Mr. Li’s remarks, saying they “sent a dangerous signal calling for ‘independence.'” On the same day, China imposed sanctions on three US defense companies for selling arms to Taiwan.
The Chinese government prefers to negotiate with the Kuomintang and seeks to increase its influence on the island by co-opting key party figures. It recently hosted a visit from former President Ma Ying-jeou, and is currently accepting visits from members of the National Assembly.
