Taiwan’s global credibility on the line with disputed laws, president says

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s global credibility is on the line and parliament should withdraw a series of laws the government opposes, President Lai Ching-te said amid a deepening dispute with the opposition, which has slammed him for ignoring the will of the people.

While Lai won the presidential election last year, his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its parliamentary majority to the Kuomintang (KMT) and its much smaller ally the Taiwan People’s Party.

Since the DPP controls the presidency it also runs the government in Taiwan’s system, but the opposition has used its parliamentary majority to pass its own legislation and stymie government plans.

The current standoff between the government and the opposition stems from opposition-passed amendments last month to a revenue allocation law, which granted more funds to local governments.

Lai’s administration says that law, along with the reversing of pension reforms enacted in 2018, are fiscally unsustainable, and Premier Cho Jung-tai on Monday (Dec 15) said he was refusing to enact the local government financing law.

In a video message posted to social media late on Monday, Lai said the laws should be withdrawn, and reiterated he was willing to go to parliament himself and speak to lawmakers.

“Dear fellow citizens, Taiwan is already a key hub of the global democratic camp; our stability affects the entire world. We cannot allow flawed laws to weaken Taiwan’s competitiveness, and we must not let the international community lose confidence in Taiwan,” he said.