TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Clashes were seen in the Legislative Yuan on Friday as DPP legislators tried to prevent their KMT counterparts from taking the rostrum to prevent action on three opposition-led amendments.
The Legislative Yuan was scheduled to address the amendments but DPP members broke windows to enter the chamber and occupied the rostrum Thursday night, per CNA. At 9 a.m. Friday, KMT legislators broke through a barricade of chairs created by DPP lawmakers to enter the chamber, leading to confrontations.
The Legislative Yuan was set to convene at 10 a.m. as usual, but due to the standoff the session was delayed for nearly two hours.
When Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) called for a vote at 11:50 a.m., many KMT legislators were still at the rostrum scuffling with DPP lawmakers. When the voting period expired, Han ruled that due to the disruption legislators would vote by raising their hands, per UDN.
After the tally was completed, 104 legislators were present, meeting the quorum, and the session officially began.
The agenda prioritized amendments proposed by the KMT and TPP to the Public Officials Election And Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法), and the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法).
Raising the threshold
Opposition leaders proposed requiring recall petition signatories to submit photocopies of their national ID cards. KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) added a revision mandating the card's date of issuance for authentication purposes, per PTS News.
Another measure not up for a vote on Friday seeks to raise the threshold for recalling an official by including a provision that a “yes” vote must exceed the tally received by that official when elected.
DPP legislators argue the mixed outcomes of previous recall campaigns demonstrated the current threshold is balanced and does not require adjustment. They also contend that requiring photocopies of ID cards would significantly increase the difficulty of recalls, potentially infringe on citizens' privacy rights, and discourage participation.
Constitutional Court Procedure Act
A draft by KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) and 22 others proposes increasing the minimum number of justices required to hear a court case to 10. Also that rulings would need the approval of at least two-thirds of the 15 justices.
The DPP pointed out that some cases, such as impeachment of the president or the dissolution of political parties, already require two-thirds approval. The DPP expressed concerns that applying this standard universally could undermine the court's ability to function.
Government revenue and spending
The KMT proposed raising the proportion of financial resources that go to local governments at the expense of the central government. They also called for allowing local governments to retain 100% of tax revenues instead of remitting 20% to the central government.
The DPP raised concerns that the proposals could significantly reduce the central government's discretionary funds, potentially impacting critical budgets for national defense, social welfare, and public housing.
