Taiwan lawmakers condemn premier over veto of child account bill

Legislators in Taiwan have condemned Premier Cho Jung-tai for his refusal to endorse a bill concerning child accounts, a move that has escalated political tensions. The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, leveraging their legislative majority, successfully passed a motion to censure the premier and advanced the controversial bill to cross-party negotiations.

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The core of democracy lies in communication, coordination, and respect for the majority.

The opposition bloc accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of repeatedly using "extreme confrontation" and an "arrogant stance" to obstruct democratic processes. They specifically criticized President Lai Ching-te and Premier Cho for allegedly misusing the presidential veto power as a tool to effectively block legislation, thereby undermining the separation of powers and disregarding the will of the 113 elected representatives.

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The ruling party repeatedly uses extreme confrontation instead of cross-party consensus, and faces the democratic system with an arrogant attitude.

The motion highlighted the government's refusal to endorse or publicize several passed bills, including the "Child and Youth Future Account Act" and amendments to the "Cable Broadcasting Act." The opposition argued that this sets a dangerous precedent for executive overreach in a democracy. They criticized the government for labeling opposition-backed bills as "unconstitutional" or "financially disruptive" while allegedly engaging in its own "reckless" budget allocations.

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The executive branch's repeated refusal to endorse passed bills, including the 'Child and Youth Future Account Act' and the 'Cable Broadcasting Act,' sets a bad example of unlimited expansion of executive power in a democratic country.

Recalling past administrations, the opposition contrasted the current government's approach with that of former presidents Chen Shui-bian and Tsai Ing-wen, who they claimed were more conciliatory. They accused the Lai administration of becoming a "power monster" that refuses legislative oversight. The condemnation motion urged President Lai and Premier Cho to cease their alleged "illegal and abusive" actions and return to constitutional norms, warning against them becoming "the worst power monsters in Taiwan's democratic history."

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We must condemn Premier Cho Jung-tai for his actions. We urge President Lai Ching-te and Premier Cho to immediately stop their illegal and abusive 'non-endorsement, non-publication, non-execution' actions and return to the basic order of constitutional operation.