Tens of thousands of supporters of Taiwan’s ruling party are expected to gather outside parliament on Friday following the approval of a highly controversial “contempt of parliament” bill. The opposition Kuomintang party argues that the new law is necessary to address the power imbalance between the legislature and Taiwan’s presidency, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party views it as an unconstitutional power grab aimed at retaliating against the DPP government led by President William Lai Ching-te.
The bill aims to empower Taiwan’s parliament to interrogate and investigate the executive branch, including the ability to subpoena government officials and individuals for sensitive documents. Additionally, it introduces a clause for “contempt of legislature” that could result in fines or a prison sentence for officials disrespecting parliament. Legal scholars have criticized this clause for exceeding norms in other democratic countries.
The passing of the bill led to protests in Taipei, with supporters of both parties demonstrating their opposition. The divide between the DPP and KMT reflects a deep political rift in Taiwan, stemming from historical conflicts between the two parties. The protests have attracted a diverse range of Taiwanese society, united by a strong sense of Taiwanese identity and skepticism towards the KMT’s motives.
Many protesters believe that the bill is influenced by the Chinese Communist Party, accusing KMT leaders of being too closely aligned with Beijing. Despite these allegations, the KMT leadership denies any collusion with China and emphasizes its history of opposing the communist party. The ongoing protests highlight the challenges facing Taiwan’s government in a divided political landscape. “La idea principal de la ley es hacer que el ejecutivo sea más responsable, eso es todo. Pero cuando el KMT controlaba la presidencia y el legislativo entre 2008 y 2016, se resistió a las demandas de la oposición de aprobar una ley muy similar: el DPP, entonces en el otro lado del pasillo, la estaba promoviendo. El KMT también ha sugerido que podría comenzar a investigar a los líderes del DPP una vez que la ley entre en vigor. “Durante ocho años, el DPP tuvo una súper mayoría. Podían obtener lo que quisieran. Ejecutivo y legislativo en coalición para disfrutar de los recursos de Taiwán”, dice el Sr. Huang.”