Taipei Mayor Chiang calls no-confidence vote

TAIPEI(Taiwan): Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Thursday called on the legislature to pass a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet, accusing President William Lai Ching-te’s administration of misusing judicial power, Taipei Times reported.

Chiang urged opposition parties to leverage their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pursue the dismissal motion.

Speaking at a protest outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, Chiang criticised recent raids on KMT offices and the questioning of staff over alleged forged signatures on recall petitions targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. The KMT has described the investigations as politically motivated and a form of persecution. “The legislature should push for the dismissal of the Cabinet instead of allowing the ruling power to continue hurting Taiwan unjustly,” Chiang said.

Chiang emphasised that this was his first time protesting against Taiwan’s judicial system and that he was doing so “as a national of the Republic of China, a Taipei citizen and a father of three.” His remarks sparked broader debate about the legal and political implications of a no-confidence vote under the Additional Articles of the Constitution.

According to the constitutional provisions, the Legislative Yuan can initiate a no-confidence vote against the premier with signatures from at least one-third of its members. A simple majority in the 113-member body is sufficient for passage.

If the motion succeeds, the premier must resign within 10 days and may request that the president dissolve the legislature. If the motion fails, a new no-confidence vote against the same premier cannot be proposed for another year, reported the Taipei Times.

Chiang acknowledged that he was merely offering an idea since he is neither a lawmaker nor holds a party leadership position. However, he said if the president were to dissolve the legislature in response to such a vote, the people would have a chance to re-evaluate Taiwan’s future direction.

KMT Chairman Eric Chu said the party “does not rule out any measures that are beneficial to Taiwan’s democracy and can make the leader step down.” Meanwhile, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) echoed concerns about judicial overreach, particularly in light of corruption indictments against former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je, which the party claims lack evidence and are politically driven.

TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang opposed Chiang’s proposal, arguing that it could backfire. “The DPP has been advocating for dissolving the legislature in recent months,” he said at a press conference in Taipei. “How can it be considered a vote of no-confidence against William Lai if he remains in office after a legislative re-election? This would only gift the DPP an opportunity to reverse the situation and salvage their debacle.”

Premier Cho Jung-tai and DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu also responded critically to the proposal. Wu questioned the KMT’s public support and suggested that the party may have missed the right timing to pursue such a move. She also pointed to the recall motions against KMT lawmakers that have already passed early procedural hurdles, Taipei Times reported.

DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming dismissed Chiang’s role, claiming it was a proxy move for KMT Chairman Eric Chu. “The KMT is done already,” Ker said. “I will absolutely support it if the KMT dares launch the Cabinet dismissal.” (ANI)