Don’t Sleep on Taiwan’s Constitutional Crisis
A clash between president and parliament is eroding democratic legitimacy.
A clash between president and parliament is eroding democratic legitimacy.
foreignpolicy.com
“…
In some ways, the situation resembles South Korea, where now-impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3 due in part to his irritation at the majority-controlled legislature. Incredibly, the DPP
released a post on social mediasoon after Yoon’s martial law announcement that night implying support. It quickly withdrew that post, but not before people took note of it, which led to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te having to
reassure the public that the DPP did not support martial law.
Taiwan’s turbulent domestic politics have gone largely unnoticed despite the island sitting on a geopolitical fault line. The legislative fight on Dec. 20 occurred because the DPP was trying to prevent a vote on the third reading of several amendments that were eventually passed.
… All this bickering, whether in the political, legal, or physical arenas, is extremely worrying. It has fostered a dysfunctional political climate and escalated societal tensions, and it now threatens to undermine democracy.
… Engaging in violence in the legislature to prevent bills from being passed, launching what many see as a political witch hunt against the leader of the third party, and attempting politically motivated recalls to target dozens of opposition lawmakers is a terrible look for any self-respecting democracy, much less one that is considered by some as a model in Asia. These dysfunctional domestic politics are not just embarrassing, but damaging for Taiwan’s stability.“