Opposition petitions to impeach premier over law countersignatures

Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) Lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on Tuesday submitted a petition to the Control Yuan seeking the impeachment of Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), accusing him of illegal conduct and dereliction of duty for refusing to countersign passed legislation.

KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) said Cho had overstepped executive authority by declining to countersign and implement laws passed by the Legislative Yuan, including amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures, which would increase the share of revenues allocated to local governments.

Cho has also said he would refuse to countersign legislation ending pension cuts for retired civil servants and public school teachers, Weng added.

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As premier, Cho is obligated to administer laws adopted by the Legislature, Weng said, but he has also refused to allocate the required budgets for recently passed measures, including amendments to the Act of Military Service and the Police Personnel Management Act to raise pay and retirement benefits for military and police personnel.

Weng said Cho's actions violated the principle of separation of powers and constituted serious misconduct, leaving the opposition no choice but to ask the Control Yuan, which currently has 28 members, to open an investigation and consider impeachment.

Weng, along with KMT lawmakers Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) and Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), and TPP lawmakers Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) and Mai Yu-chen (麥玉珍), submitted the petition after holding a news conference outside the Control Yuan, joined by representatives of military, civil service and teachers' groups.

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Responding to criticism that some KMT lawmakers have called for the abolition of the Control Yuan, Hsu said the watchdog body should continue to function as long as it exists, adding that its members cannot ignore issues affecting the livelihoods and rights of military and police personnel.

Wang said the impeachment effort is aimed at defending legislative authority and the rule of law, warning that allowing the executive branch to block laws passed by the Legislature undermines Taiwan's constitutional system.

Chang urged the Control Yuan to promptly investigate the case, accusing Cho and President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of undermining constitutional governance.

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Cho dismissed the impeachment push, saying his focus remains on economic governance.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the Executive Yuan's Economic Development Committee, he said the committee's work on innovation, balanced regional development and inclusive growth is what truly benefits the country and represents the administration's priority.

Under the Control Act, an impeachment motion must be proposed by at least two Control Yuan members and reviewed by a panel of at least nine others and, if approved, is referred to the Judicial Yuan's Disciplinary Court.