Taiwan’s opposition-dominated parliament has approved a controversial reform bill following protests, several days of intense debate and physical altercations among MPs, accompanied by large-scale protests from citizens outside the legislative building.
According to media, the controversial bill passed with a vote of 58 to 45 after a third reading on Tuesday evening in Taipei, which saw further skirmishes and members of the ruling party throwing paper planes and garbage bags at the opposition.
The driving force behind the controversial bill were the two major opposition parties, the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) and the populist Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which gained a majority in parliament after the January elections, although the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) retained the presidency with Lai Ching-te inaugurated last Monday.
Late on Tuesday, the ruling DPP declared it would reject the new bill and send it back for review, also seeking a legal ruling on its constitutionality. Ker Chien-ming, the DPP caucus whip, labeled the bill “absolutely unconstitutional” and raised concerns about the legality of the voting process.
The bill aims to expand the legislature’s authority to summon and question officials, military personnel, and citizens, and to demand documents. The DPP claims the opposition seeks to use these reforms to undermine Lai’s presidency.
Taiwan already has the Control Yuan, a government branch with the authority to investigate officials and order impeachments. Its spokesperson warned on Thursday that the new bill could violate the separation of powers.
After the final votes, jubilant KMT and TPP legislators celebrated with small sun-shaped balloons amidst remnants of week-long hostilities and deliberations. Outside, tens of thousands of protesters had gathered.
Following the bill’s passage, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi announced plans to form a special task force to investigate alleged corruption within the DPP. The DPP and its supporters accused the opposition of undermining democratic processes to push the bill through, with confrontations between legislators turning violent last week, resulting in two MPs needing brief hospital treatment.
Supporters argue that legislative reform is essential for greater accountability, noting that the bills are similar to those previously attempted by the DPP. However, critics contend the bills go further and are vaguely defined, particularly concerning a new criminal offense of “contempt of congress,” which they fear could be used to target political opponents and disrupt Lai’s administration.
Translations of the amendments showed that officials under questioning could be fined for giving false statements or “reverse-questioning,” a term critics argue is undefined and likely infringes on free speech. The Taiwan Bar Association accused the opposition of pushing the bills through without substantial discussion or review.
Outside, tens of thousands gathered in protest for the third time in a week. Friday saw the largest turnout, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 people. The protests, which have become increasingly organized, featured crowd control measures, medical care, food, water, and garbage collection. The rally began on Tuesday morning and grew throughout the day, swelling after work and school ended, coinciding with the bill’s passage.
The protests are the largest since the 2014 Sunflower Movement, with many participants drawing inspiration from that period. Protesters expressed their readiness to continue opposing what they view as undemocratic behavior by the opposition.
Lai faces a challenging first term with a hostile parliament and the ongoing threat from China to annex Taiwan. On Saturday, Lai expressed support for the protests, stating, “The power of Taiwan’s civil society is in full display.” He emphasized the need for procedural justice in legislative deliberations and accused the opposition of “forcing votes through a majority and depriving the legislative yuan of the bill’s due discussion.”
