First in Taiwan's Constitutional History: Lawmakers Begin Voting on Presidential Impeachment

(CNA, Taipei, May 19, by Wang Yang-yu) In a first for the constitutional history of the Republic of China, the Legislative Yuan today held a recorded vote on the impeachment of President Lai Ching-te. After legislative staff set up the polling stations, voting began at 10:07 AM and is scheduled to close at 11:05 AM. If all legislators cast their ballots before then, the counting will begin early. After Premier Cho Jung-tai announced he would not countersign the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures, KMT and TPP legislators proposed initiating impeachment proceedings against President Lai Ching-te. The Legislative Yuan convened on December 26 last year, and the KMT and TPP, leveraging their numerical advantage, passed the motion. Following a series of public hearings, review meetings, and hearings, the recorded vote on the impeachment is being held on May 19 this year. The Legislative Yuan currently has 113 seats. Based on the parties' representation in parliament, the KMT, including independent legislators Chen Chao-ming and Kao Chin Su-mei who caucus with the KMT, holds 54 seats. The DPP has 51 seats, and the Taiwan People's Party has 8. According to the Additional Articles of the Constitution, an impeachment motion against the president or vice president requires a proposal by 1/2 of all legislators and a resolution by 2/3 or more, after which it is submitted to the Council of Grand Justices of the Judicial Yuan for adjudication. In the Constitutional Court, the impeachment is confirmed if agreed upon by 2/3 or more of the total number of Grand Justices, and the impeached person is then removed from office. In other words, the impeachment motion will not pass as long as 38 legislators vote against it. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) 1150519