A legislative committee began reviewing the amendments to the Law Governing the Legislature’s Power on Wednesday. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) criticized the amendments saying not only would they be difficult for the Cabinet to pass, but they would also infringe on constitutional rights, and disrupt the separation of powers.
Premier Cho says the legislative review process is meant to determine whether the law had been followed during the initial review and give legislators a second chance to perfect and scrutinize bills. Cho says it is difficult to determine whether the amendments meet the basic standards for what constitutes “law”.
Cho explained why the bill had been sent back for review. One reason he says is the requirement for the president to give regular state of the nation addresses and perform question-answers is unconstitutional. He added that it could interfere with the administrative duties of both the Presidential Office and the Legislature.
Premier Cho also criticized the requirement attempting to add legislative investigative and hearing powers. He says this contradicts the separation of powers and infringes on personal rights. Cho maintains that such power belongs to the oversight committee or judicial branch alone.
Cho called on both ruling and opposition lawmakers to stand on the right side of history and uphold the will of the people. He says the goal is for both sides to work together to safeguard Taiwan's constitutional system and protect personal liberties. The review process will be voted on this Friday.