Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Fu Kun-chi/Facebook
THE KMT SEEMS set to continue being on the offensive in the legislature, with a slew of new bills that the party hopes to pass in the near future. At the same time, it is probable that the KMT will cause public pushback if it continues with its actions.
A recent controversy broke out over Li Zhen-xiu of the TPP taking office as a legislator. Li would be the first China-born legislator, having acquired ROC nationality through marriage to a Taiwanese national. But Li was accused of not actually having completed the procedures to give up her Chinese citizenship. It is still unclear as to whether Li has, in fact, gone through all the steps necessary to forfeit her Chinese citizenship. Lawmakers are forbidden from holding other nationalities under ROC law.
In the wake of the controversy, KMT legislative caucus Fu Kun-chi has introduced a new bill that would allow Chinese nationals to run for office without forfeiting their original citizenship as PRC nationals. It appears that, in spite of significant controversy over the matter, the KMT has decided to double down on the matter. Although the KMT has historically positioned itself as the defender of the interests of Chinese spouses of Taiwanese, it is still unusual to see the KMT take such a potentially controversial stance.
In the meantime, the KMT has also continued to advance a proposal to allow for the establishment of free trade zones in outlying islands of Taiwan. The bill has been accused of potentially resulting in trade retaliation from the US, particularly if it allows for Chinese goods to be passed off as Taiwanese ones. Moreover, the bill is accused of being an attempt to expand Chinese influence over outlying islands of Taiwan, with the KMT having also introduced bills that would allow Chinese firms to take up bids for infrastructure construction in outlying islands of Taiwan.
Two other bills are again intended to make lasting shifts to Taiwan’s political system. More generally, in the past two years, the KMT has used its majority in the legislature to try and reshape Taiwan’s political system to its advantage by reducing the power of other branches of government, in this way interfering with the system of checks-and-balances of government.
A new proposal to allow referendums to overrule Constitutional Court rulings is intended to reduce the power of the Constitutional Court. The KMT would be banking on the fact that it has sometimes successfully used public referendums against the DPP, but also reacting to the potential unfreezing of the Constitutional Court.
Namely, after the KMT sought to expand legislative powers in 2024 to pry powers of investigation and prosecution away from the executive and judiciary, this was struck down as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. The KMT next reacted by passing legislation to freeze the Constitutional Court, but recent moves suggest that the Constitutional Court may have taken up activity again after some justices moved to reject this legislation as unconstitutional. Hence the move to try and reduce the power of the Constitutional Court again.
To this extent, the TPP has introduced a new bill that would allow for absentee voting, either through transferring votes, at designated stations, or through electronic voting. The DPP has criticized the proposal as potentially allowing for interference in Taiwan’s elections as well as making it easier for voter fraud to take place, already a longstanding issue faced in Taiwan.
Indeed, the prospect of absentee voting has long been controversial in Taiwan, seeing as many Taiwanese reside in China–up to one million. Proposals that would allow them to vote without traveling to Taiwan have, consequently, long raised fears that this would sway the outcome of Taiwanese elections. Currently, the Chinese government increases the number of flights available during election dates and encourages Taiwanese in China to return to vote in favor of its political agenda.
Having survived the Great Recall Movement last year, the KMT may view itself as in a strong position ahead of elections. This may be why the KMT has again gone on the offensive by making a series of controversial legislative proposals. Still, with local elections set to take place later this year, the KMT also risks provoking blowback ahead of the vote.