Taiwanese MPs clashed again on Tuesday during a turbulent parliamentary session, auguring difficulties for new President Lai Ching-te.
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The day after his inauguration, deputies from the ruling coalition and the opposition led heated debates while brandishing signs in protest.
“Today is President Lai’s second day in office. How can we explain that there is another conflict in Parliament? asked Han Kuo-yu, speaker of Parliament and a member of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party.
“Shut up,” replied MPs from Mr. Lai’s Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), which won the January legislative elections without obtaining an absolute majority.
The new president faces a hostile coalition made up of the Kuomintang – a historic party considered more favorable to Beijing – and the Taiwanese People’s Party (PPT), a new formation in full swing.
The opposition has tabled bills to expand Parliament’s powers, which the PDP contests and says were imposed without adequate consultation.
Last Friday, the debates between MPs degenerated into arguments, and the session resumed on Tuesday with a banner against the “extension of powers” of Parliament deployed by the ruling party.
Of the five bills proposed by the opposition, the most controversial is an offense of “contempt of Parliament”, which would punish officials refusing to participate in parliamentary inquiries.
In front of Parliament, hundreds of people protested against the text.
“It took the efforts of so many people to bring the country out of 38 years of martial law and make it the most democratic country in Asia. But today, our Parliament is going backwards on democracy,” observes Cheng Li-lin, a retiree.
“The amendments could transform Parliament into a dictatorial entity,” he believes.
On Friday, after scuffles between parliamentarians, DPP supporters gathered in front of Parliament to protest against the controversial bills and violence which, according to local media, caused injuries among DPP and KMT deputies.
The island of 23 million people has been governed autonomously since 1949, but China considers it part of its territory and has said it wants to bring it back under its control, by force if necessary.
