TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A scuffle broke out at the entrance of the Legislative Yuan on Friday (May 17) as lawmakers from the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) clashed over a vote on parliamentary reform bills. The confrontation marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two major political parties in Taiwan.
The KMT accused DPP lawmakers of engaging in "the most severe violent physical actions against opposition party legislators in history" and demanded that President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) take political responsibility.
The KMT stated that they had tried since Wednesday morning to queue up in a regulated manner to secure priority for their bills, only to be forcefully bypassed by the DPP using their majority.
DPP legislators Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), and Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) were specifically accused of physically assaulting KMT lawmakers.
The KMT criticized DPP lawmakers for acting as a rubber stamp for the executive branch, urging them to play a more active role in overseeing government actions, especially concerning the "Five Acts of Parliamentary Reform."
The main opposition party also pledged to uphold the integrity of politics and the dignity of the parliament in the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan), vowing to persist until the "Five Acts" pass their third reading.
The incident underscores deep divisions within Taiwan's political landscape, with both parties standing firm on their positions regarding parliamentary reform. As the Legislative Yuan moves forward, the commitment of both parties to Taiwan's democratic processes and political integrity remains under scrutiny.
