2024-12-20
To block KMT's three political chaos bills,
it was necessary to enter the legislative chamber to protect democracy
Late last (19th) night, the DPP Legislative Yuan Caucus took action and entered the main chamber of the Legislative Yuan.
The DPP believes that we must stop the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) from forcibly advancing a series of legislation through stifling democratic discussion and tyranny of the majority. The legislation concerned are the: Public Officials Election and Recall Act, the Constitutional Court Procedure Act and the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures. These proposed legislations will cause immense damage to the Taiwanese constitutional system and infringe on fundamental rights of the people.
The essence of democratic politics is accountability and oversight of power. As we have painfully observed, since the start of this legislative session, the KMT and the TPP have disregarded the DPP’s calls to prioritize the livelihood of the people. Instead, they have pursued the unchecked expansion of the powers of themselves and their parties at every turn as their ultimate political objective. Their actions neglect public opinion and denigrate the rule of law. They have destroyed the constitutional system and civil rights won through blood and sweat by the Taiwanese people through decades of democracy movements.
In the last legislative session, the KMT forcibly passed legislation that expands the power of the Legislative Yuan over other branches of government. Despite the Constitutional Court ruling the legislation unconstitutional, the KMT has doubled down, forcing legislation through committees without due process and, in an unprecedented move, barricading the Legislative Yuan to prevent other political parties from convening. This “one-party committee” subsequently convened their own illegal session to amend legislation.
The KMT’s antidemocratic behavior has already exceeded the acceptable limits of parliamentary partisanship and is an explicit threat to Taiwanese democracy.
In the face of this unhinged parliament, the last resort to stop the KMT’s destruction of the constitution and their totalitarianism is to directly exercise the right of recall against public officials, and ask the Constitutional Court to rule the legislation unconstitutional.
Once the KMT violently advances the Recall Act and the Constitutional Court Procedure Act, checks and balances in Taiwanese democracy will cease to exist. Taiwanese civil society and democracy will suffer irreversible harm.
Therefore, the DPP is left without a choice. We must stand up and take action in the face of the destruction and breakdown of Taiwanese democracy. We must safeguard democracy.
The DPP strongly condemns the KMT’s anti-democratic actions. We also call upon Taiwnaese civil society to closely observe the developments in the Legislative Yuan spiraling out of control, and collectively support the actions of the DPP Legislative Yuan Caucus.
We believe that the power of rational citizens will triumph over the politicians with no moral compass intent on destroying the constitution and causing political chaos.
