TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said Monday the opposition should avoid actively discussing a potential no-confidence vote against Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), arguing it would distract public attention from the ongoing tainted soybean oil scandal.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) on Sunday echoed Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) call for a no-confidence vote against Cho during the TPP’s seventh anniversary celebration in Taichung, per Mirror Media. Lu urged voters to use the 2026 local elections to protest the DPP’s handling of the tainted oil controversy and vote President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) out of office in 2028.
TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) responded at the time that the opposition shares the common goal of challenging Lai and should instead focus on cooperation ahead of November’s local elections, per Liberty Times. Speaking in an interview Monday, Huang reiterated his reservations about pursuing a no-confidence vote, saying he did not want public attention to shift away from food safety issues, per UDN.
Citing the DPP’s defeat in the 2018 local elections, Huang said officials who refuse to step down when they should ultimately face consequences at the ballot box. He also argued that replacing Cho would have little effect on the government’s handling of the controversy because Lai frequently steps in on matters Huang believes would ordinarily fall under the premier’s responsibility.
Meanwhile, the KMT has yet to reach a consensus on whether to pursue a no-confidence vote. KMT legislative caucus convener Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) said Friday that while the party respects internal deliberations, there has been little discussion of the proposal, per Z.Media.
KMT insiders said the TPP is unlikely to support a no-confidence motion because its eight at-large legislative seats were won largely on the support of former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), per CNews. They also said senior KMT leaders are concerned that debate over a no-confidence vote could divert attention from the tainted oil controversy.
Some KMT members opposed to the proposal argued that Cho has become an effective political target for the opposition and should remain in office through the year-end local elections, per UP Media. They also warned that holding legislative by-elections alongside local elections could improve the DPP’s electoral prospects by boosting turnout.
Other KMT sources said that although the party is unlikely to initiate a no-confidence vote, holding legislative by-elections separately from local elections could improve the opposition’s chances by allowing campaigns to focus on economic issues, per Liberty Times. They added that calls by Chiang and Lu for a no-confidence vote have also helped keep Lai occupied and limited his ability to campaign nationwide.
