TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Legislative Yuan will vote on the impeachment of President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on May 19, the eve of the second anniversary of his inauguration, opposition lawmakers decided Friday.
The impeachment procedure can only be successful if two-thirds of the 113 legislators and in the next phase two-thirds of the Constitutional Court rule in favor. Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party said the opposition treated impeachment as a game, with a victory for their proposal highly unlikely.
The proposal for the May 19 vote won support from 60 lawmakers Friday, with 51 voting against and no abstentions, the Liberty Times reported. The opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party accused Lai of violating the Constitution and of undermining democracy because he failed to promulgate an opposition-backed measure passed by the Legislative Yuan to provide local governments with a larger share of public revenue.
According to the impeachment procedure, two public hearings with academics and experts will be scheduled for Jan. 14-15. A full session of the Legislative Yuan will invite Lai to present his case on Jan. 21-22 where he will face questions from 32 lawmakers. If the president does not appear, lawmakers from all parties will receive 10 minutes of speaking time each.
A hearing with government officials will also be scheduled for April 27, with a second appearance by the president on May 13-14, less than a week before the vote by lawmakers.
