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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Taiwan Premier's Salary Frozen in Unprecedented Legislative Move, DPP Cries Unconstitutional

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Taiwan's legislature has frozen the salary of Premier Cho Jung-tai for four months, a move criticized as illegal and unconstitutional.
  • Legislator Chung Chia-pin stated that this action bypasses the impeachment and disciplinary court procedures normally required for punishing government officials.
  • He accused the opposition parties of overstepping their authority and infringing on the powers of the executive, supervisory, and judicial branches.

Taiwan's legislature has set a constitutional precedent by freezing Premier Cho Jung-tai's salary for four months, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

This action bypasses the impeachment and disciplinary court procedures normally required for punishing government officials.

— Chung Chia-pinDPP legislator Chung Chia-pin criticizing the legislature's decision to freeze the premier's salary.

DPP legislator Chung Chia-pin condemned the opposition's action, calling it both illegal and unconstitutional. He argued that government officials, while accountable for political responsibility, are subject to specific impeachment and disciplinary procedures. These procedures involve the Control Yuan for impeachment and the Disciplinary Court for sanctions like suspension or pay cuts. Chung asserted that the legislature's attempt to directly freeze a premier's salary through budget review bypasses these established constitutional mechanisms.

Chung accused the opposition parties, which hold a majority in the legislature, of expanding their powers and encroaching on the functions of other branches of government. He cited previous instances where the legislature allegedly overstepped its bounds, including forcing budget allocations on the executive branch, infringing on the Control Yuan's investigative powers, and attempting to influence the Judicial Yuan through legislative changes and public referendums.

The legislature's attempt to directly freeze a premier's salary through budget review bypasses these established constitutional mechanisms.

— Chung Chia-pinChung Chia-pin explaining the constitutional violations of the opposition's move.

The specific action against Premier Cho, proposed by Kuomintang legislator Weng-Hsiao-ling, involves freezing his salary from September to December. Chung emphasized that this direct financial penalty on an official, without due process through the Control Yuan or Disciplinary Court, constitutes a deprivation of rights and a violation of the constitutional order. He stated that the legislature's actions since the beginning of 2024 have repeatedly challenged the authority of the executive, supervisory, and judicial branches.

The legislature's actions since the beginning of 2024 have repeatedly challenged the authority of the executive, supervisory, and judicial branches.

— Chung Chia-pinChung Chia-pin detailing the opposition's alleged overreach of power.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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