TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A public hearing on a proposal to impeach President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) began Wednesday, with experts invited by major parties presenting their views.
The hearing follows Premier Cho Jung-tai’s (卓榮泰) refusal to sign an amendment passed by the Legislative Yuan, per CNA. Cho had argued that with the Constitutional Court effectively paralyzed, withholding his signature constituted what he described as the government’s last constitutional recourse.
Wednesday’s hearing is being held at the Legislative Yuan from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Taiwan People’s Party invited retired Tunghai University professor Lin Teng-yau (林騰鷂) as its expert witness.
The Kuomintang’s experts include former Control Yuan member Chang Kuei-mei (仉桂美), former KMT Legislator Yu Yu-lan (游毓蘭), and attorney Li Yueh-yang (李岳洋). The Democratic Progressive Party’s experts are attorneys Lai Pin-hsiang (賴秉詳) and Huang Ti-ying (黃帝穎), along with National Cheng Kung University law professor Chen Yi-kai (陳怡凱).
Lawmakers attending the hearing include TPP Legislator Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬); KMT legislators Lin Te-fu (林德福), Chiu Chen-chun (邱鎮軍), and Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯); and DPP legislators Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄), Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), and Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱).
Impeachment proceedings in the Legislative Yuan begin with two public hearings on Wednesday and Jan. 15, followed by two two-day questioning sessions scheduled for Jan. 21–22 and May 13–14, per Commonwealth Magazine. A final vote is scheduled for May 19.
An additional hearing is scheduled for April 27. Unlike Wednesday’s session, lawmakers at that hearing will be allowed to question government officials and other individuals providing testimony and opinions.
Impeachment is intended to remove officials for illegal conduct or dereliction of duty. Presidential impeachment cases originate in the Legislative Yuan and are then referred to the Constitutional Court.
To advance, the impeachment motion must first secure the support of two-thirds of active legislators. With opposition lawmakers lacking the required numbers, the proposal is widely seen as unlikely to move beyond the legislative stage.
Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) commented on the opposition’s invitation for Lai to appear before the legislature, saying the president respects the legislature’s exercise of its authority, per Liberty Times. She added that Lai also urged lawmakers to prioritize review of the 2026 central government budget and a special defense budget.
