Lai flags human rights, power separation issues in laws

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Monday (June 24) expressed reservations about potential violations of the separation of powers and basic human rights in his comments on a legislative review document, the Presidential Office (總統府) reported.

President Lai also announced plans to introduce amendments to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power (立法院職權行使法) and the Criminal Code of the Republic of China (中華民國刑法), and to request a constitutional interpretation from the Constitutional Court (憲法法庭) to uphold constitutional order and protect citizens' rights.

During his first open hall talk of his term, President Lai highlighted that these legislative changes have triggered substantial societal concerns. He noted that the proposed amendments could undermine the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.

The Presidential Office elaborated that President Lai's annotations in the legislative review document warned of "significant societal concerns; the amended text contains constitutional disputes violating the separation of powers and infringing on people's basic rights."

He stressed the need for the branches of government to operate independently yet respectfully, underlining his opposition to expanding parliamentary powers, though not to parliamentary reform itself. President Lai advocates resolving these issues through the Constitutional Court to ensure the maintenance of a free democratic constitutional order and the protection of basic human rights.