TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The government lost its attempt to override amendments that expand the powers of the Legislative Yuan in a revote on Friday (June 21).

The measures had been approved by the legislature in May, but the Cabinet, with the approval of President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), sent them back for reconsideration. 

The 51 lawmakers of Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) voted for the government, but all other legislators - 52 from the Kuomintang (KMT), eight from the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and two independents - rejected the motion to reconsider, the Liberty Times reported.

However, it is widely expected that the ruling camp will take the amendments to the Constitutional Court for a ruling.

The amendments include an annual State of the Nation address by the president, plus a requirement for him to answer questions from lawmakers, the introduction of “contempt of the legislature,” and a range of investigative powers to be handed to the Legislative Yuan.

While the opposition presented the changes as legislative reform, the DPP said they amounted to an unconstitutional expansion of the powers of the Legislative Yuan at the expense of president and Cabinet. 

Thousands of protesters gathered on several occasions outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei City. They also gathered in other cities and even overseas, to condemn the amendments and the way in which they were forced through.