Taiwan opposition takes aim at president in long-shot impeachment

Taiwan’s two main opposition parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), have launched impeachment proceedings against President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in the legislature, setting off a new round of political confrontation between the ruling and opposition camps.

The impeachment push stems from controversy over the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures, which the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan amended in 2024.

Taiwan’s Executive Yuan argued that the revised law would weaken the central government’s ability to adjust and provide funds to local governments, could push annual borrowing beyond legal limits, and might affect the implementation of national policies. 

It therefore requested a reconsideration vote, but the KMT–TPP majority rejected the request.

On Dec. 15, 2025, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) announced that, under Article 37 of the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC, official name for Taiwan), he would refuse to countersign the bill. It was the first time in ROC constitutional history that a premier had refused to countersign legislation passed by the legislature.

On Dec. 18, 2025, KMT and TPP lawmakers proposed in the Judiciary and Organic Laws Committee that the Control Yuan impeach Premier Cho Jung-tai.

On the morning of Dec. 19, 2025, the KMT and TPP caucus jointly held a press conference in the Legislative Yuan, announcing they would formally push to impeach President Lai and hold public hearings across Taiwan.

Why the opposition is pushing for impeachment

KMT caucus convener Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) said at the press conference that the executive branch’s refusal to implement legislation passed by the legislature shows that Lai Ching-te has already “crowned himself emperor,” destroying Taiwan’s democracy.

TPP Chairperson Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) added that never in the constitutional history of the Republic of China has a president refused to promulgate a law passed by the legislature. “This is imperial rule, not democratic constitutional government,” he said, explaining that the impeachment is intended to “stop Lai Ching-te from becoming another Yuan Shi-kai (袁世凱).”

Yuan Shi-kai was a Chinese military leader and politician who briefly ruled ROC in the early 20th century and is best known for trying to restore the monarchy by declaring himself emperor.

Under the Constitution of ROC, once a bill passes the legislature, it must be sent to the president and the Executive Yuan.

Unless the Executive Yuan asks for a reconsideration vote, the president must publish the law within ten days for it to take effect, and the law must be countersigned by the premier.

The Executive Yuan had already asked for a reconsideration of the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures, and the legislature rejected it.

The opposition argued that since the reconsideration failed, the government is required to publish the law, and that Premier Cho Jung-tai’s refusal to countersign it breaks the Constitution.

The KMT and TPP went on to say the countersignature system was meant to limit presidential power, not to let the executive block laws already passed by the legislature.

President Lai’s response

After his 2026 New Year’s Address on Jan. 1, 2026, President Lai Ching-te expressed dissatisfaction with the impeachment motion proposed by the opposition parties.

He stated that he had “taken nothing and sought no personal gain,” had not broken the law, and argued that under the current constitutional system the impeachment is unlikely to pass, calling it a waste of the legislature’s valuable time.

How impeachment works in Taiwan

In Taiwan, only the Legislative Yuan has the power to impeach the president or vice president. Lawmakers must first submit a written proposal, which then goes through several review steps in the legislature.

The threshold for passing a presidential impeachment is extremely high. 

It requires the support of at least half of all legislators to initiate the motion and approval by more than two-thirds of the legislature to pass, after which the case is sent to the Constitutional Court for review. 

An impeachment is only upheld if more than two-thirds of the sitting justices agree, at which point the impeached official is immediately removed from office.

There are 113 lawmakers in Taiwan’s legislature, which means at least 76 votes are needed to pass an impeachment. Currently, the KMT and TPP together hold about 62 seats, far short of that number. Without lawmakers crossing party lines, the impeachment is unlikely to succeed.

What happens next

The TPP caucus held a press conference on Dec. 26, 2025, announcing that public hearings on the impeachment of the president will be held on January 14 and 15, 2026.

The first full committee session is scheduled for January 21 and 22, during which President Lai Ching-te will be asked to appear before the legislature to explain his position.

A second full committee session is planned for May 13 and 14, 2026, when Lai will again be invited to testify. A final vote on the impeachment is scheduled for May 19.

Public opinion

Public opinion in Taiwan remains divided over the impeachment of President Lai. According to the latest ZMedia poll, 40.1 percent of respondents said they support the opposition’s impeachment effort, 45.1 percent oppose it, and 14.8 percent have no clear opinion.