They give lawmakers greater oversight powers over the executive branch, similar to those of the US Congress. They also allow deputies to request information and documents from government agencies, the military, and other bodies and individuals.
The legislation also requires the president to deliver an annual address on the state of the island and respond to lawmakers’ questions – an act Lai considers a violation of the constitution.
On Tuesday, Ko Wen-je, head of the Taiwan People’s Party, which allied with the main opposition party Kuomintang to pass the bills, said Lai had promised to deliver the state of the island address to the legislature and “answer inquiries” from lawmakers during his election campaign.
“This was recorded on video and is publicly available. Do pre-election promises not count? Were they made purely based on his own mood? There is absolutely no credibility – just lies,” Ko said.
He accused Lai of being the one “truly undermining the constitution”.
“Throughout history, no country has perished due to natural disasters or plagues alone; it is often due to the actions of a mad leader, with Hitler being a prime example,” Ko said.
On Monday Lai said the bill was “an expansion of legislative power, not legislative reform,” adding that it not only infringes upon the powers of the judiciary and the Control Yuan – the government watchdog – but also on people’s basic rights.
He said it “redefines” the leader’s address as “compulsory” and requires it to be “followed with an on-the-spot question and answer session.”
“This disrupts the institution of the Executive Yuan being responsible to the Legislative Yuan, leading to concerns about an overreaching expansion of the power originally bestowed on legislators by the constitution,” he said.
He vowed to seek a ruling “on the constitutionality and legitimacy” of the legislation and seek “a preliminary injunction” from the constitutional court to stop the legislation from being implemented.
Ko said Taiwan is facing problems such as power shortages and rising house prices, but “since the presidential election on January 13, all we have seen is the ruling party creating disputes and divisions daily, with no signs of the reconciliation between political parties and society that the people desire”.
Both supporters and opponents of the government have taken to the streets to protest since the bill was proposed, and threatened to trigger a recall against their opponents.
KMT chairman Eric Chu Li-luan accused Lai and the DPP of having double standards, as most of the articles in the parliamentary reform bills “align with the DPP’s positions.”
He said prominent DPP members – including Lai, his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen and senior members of his administration – “have all previously supported granting the legislature the authority to hold hearings, conduct investigations, address contempt of parliament, and have the president deliver an annual address to the legislature.”
He said Lai and the DPP now oppose the reforms because they “fear the exposure of irregularities and are afraid of allowing justice and transparency to enter the legislature”.
