In a significant political development, opposition lawmakers in Taiwan have successfully advanced impeachment proceedings against regional leader Lai Ching-te. The motion cleared its initial legislative hurdle on Friday when the island’s legislative body voted 60-51 in favor of proceeding with the case, surpassing the required majority threshold.
The impeachment initiative, jointly proposed by the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on December 19, stems from Lai’s administration refusing to enact a legislatively approved amendment to the government revenue allocation plan on December 15. The revised legislation would have distributed a larger share of government revenue to local administrations, marking the first instance in Taiwan’s political history where a leader has declined to implement a law passed by the legislature.
According to the established timetable, the process will continue with public hearings scheduled for January 14-15, followed by review meetings on January 21-22 and May 13-14. During these sessions, Lai will be required to respond to questioning from legislative representatives, with the final impeachment vote set for May 19.
The political movement has gained substantial public support, with an online petition calling for Lai’s impeachment reportedly accumulating over 8 million signatures since its launch on December 18.
Beijing has formally commented on the situation through State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Peng Qing’en, who criticized Lai for “stubbornly adhering to a ‘Taiwan independence’ stance” and alleged that his actions “run counter to the public will.” Peng further accused the administration of undermining democratic principles, employing judicial mechanisms to suppress political opposition, and provoking political strife for personal gain.
Current legislative composition shows 113 representatives, with the KMT holding 52 seats, Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party controlling 51, the TPP maintaining 8 seats, and 2 independents. For ultimate success, the impeachment motion would require endorsement by at least half of all lawmakers and approval by a two-thirds majority before advancing to judicial review.