Overview
- KMT and TPP leaders on Dec. 19 announced plans to initiate impeachment against President Lai over what they call undemocratic conduct.
- The dispute stems from Lai not promulgating a fiscal amendment after Premier Cho Jung-tai declined to countersign the bill.
- Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution, impeachment requires support from half of all lawmakers to initiate and two-thirds to advance to the Constitutional Court.
- The opposition controls about 60 of 113 seats, leaving it well short of the two-thirds threshold needed to move the case forward.
- Even if advanced, the case cannot be adjudicated now because the Constitutional Court has only eight justices, while the Presidential Office says it respects constitutionally valid actions and DPP lawmakers call the effort largely symbolic.