KMT, TPP leaders to hold opposition summit Tuesday

Taipei, April 20 (CNA) The leaders of Taiwan's two main opposition parties, Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), will hold a summit Tuesday aimed at "returning democracy to Taiwan," the parties announced Sunday.

The summit will address pressing national challenges, including the impact of U.S. tariffs, judicial and parliamentary reforms, and the recent wave of political recall efforts, the parties said in separate statements.

The two parties also accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of governing in an "authoritarian" manner and using judicial institutions to suppress dissent.

Speaking at a KMT event, Chu said the meeting would explore strategies for closer KMT-TPP cooperation and criticized President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) for prioritizing political conflict over effective governance.

Chu also pledged to bring the perspectives of KMT mayors and insights on international developments to the summit, while also emphasizing the need for a fair and impartial judiciary.

The TPP compared the current domestic and international crises to the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that the opposition must unite to counter extremism and uphold democratic values.

In response, the DPP condemned the summit as an "anti-democracy alliance," accusing the opposition of attempting to legitimize illegal recall efforts and delegitimize ongoing judicial investigations.

DPP spokesperson Han Ying (韓瑩) said the opposition has been abusing its legislative majority to expand its power, initiate retaliatory recalls, and exert pressure on the judiciary -- actions she said threatened Taiwan's democratic foundation.

She argued that President Lai has shown steady leadership in handling international and trade issues, unlike the opposition, which she said has failed to offer substantive policy solutions.