TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Violence erupted in Taiwan's parliament on Friday (May17) as legislators from the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) clashed with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over proposed amendment acts aimed at increasing parliamentary scrutiny of the government.
The conflict began earlier that day when DPP members arrived at the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament), where KMT and TPP legislators had been preparing since Thursday night. The session turned chaotic shortly after opening at 7 a.m., leading to the legislature's president, Han Kuo-yu, calling for a break.
The proposed amendments include measures to criminalize false statements by parliament officials and penalize private enterprises that withhold information from legislators. The DPP has criticized these measures as an unconstitutional abuse of power and an overreach of legislative authority without adequate self-regulation.
The brawls highlight deep-seated issues that could undermine democracy in Taiwan by distracting from crucial discussions about amendments that could significantly affect Taiwanese society.