A contested reform bill was approved in Taiwan.
Recently in Taiwan, the Parliament passed a contentious law to enhance the government's control. There was major opposition from supporters of President Lai Ching-te in Taipei on Tuesday, who protested against the plan. Despite having a majority in Parliament since the January elections, the opposition doesn't control the president. The President in Taiwan holds powers similar to those in the United States.
This new reform allows Parliament to compel the military, private companies, or individuals to disclose information. It also makes it compulsory for the President to regularly report to Parliament and answer questions from lawmakers. Moreover, government officials will be penalized for disregarding Parliament.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of President Lai claims the new Parliamentary majority is forcing through these reforms without adequate consultation. The DPP is up against the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwanese People's Party, who together hold a majority among lawmakers. Things were quite chaotic in Parliament during the voting process. DPP legislators even went as far as throwing trash bags and paper airplanes at their opponents.
DPP legislator Ker Chien-ming addressed the crowd, saying, "Even though you can take over Parliament, you can't change public opinion." He also suggested that China was influencing Taiwan's politics. The KMT, however, vehemently denied being Chinese government agents.
This tension arises from China's assertion of integrating Taiwan into the mainland. The Chinese government views Taiwan as a rogue province. Chinese President Xi Jinping has not dismissed the possibility of military force for reunification. Taiwan, being democratically governed, is opposing this integration with backing from the United States.
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The controversial reform, which grants Parliament the power to compel information from the military, private companies, and individuals, has sparked thousands of protests from Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's supporters. This reform bill, strongly opposed by the Democratic Progressive Party, has been passed despite the lack of adequate consultation with relevant parties in Parliament.
Source: www.ntv.de
