TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) addressed the need for organizational restructuring in Taiwan's political landscape Thursday (Aug. 28) during the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians' Union opening ceremony. He emphasized the importance of adapting to current challenges by initiating necessary reforms across government and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) structures. The president's remarks came as Taiwan faces mounting political pressures requiring strategic adjustments.
President Lai announced the DPP has already initiated changes by appointing Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) as the new party secretary-general. He added the party adjusted several top-level positions Wednesday (Aug. 27) to better align with strategic goals. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) is conducting a Cabinet reshuffle, and President Lai indicated the National Security Council will soon welcome fresh faces.
Growing criticism within the DPP targets Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, caucus leader Ko Chien-ming (柯建銘). Party members call for policy reviews, with reports suggesting a petition for caucus leadership re-election is underway. President Lai stated that given the cabinet's reshuffle during this period, caucus re-election could better meet public expectations, indicating his openness to this potential change.
Ko declined to answer questions regarding Lai's statement at press time. Following recalls from Friday (July 26) and Friday (Aug. 23), Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) remains the opposition majority in the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, continuing its partnership with Taiwan's People Party (TPP, 民眾黨). Lai's administration faces increasingly severe political challenges in coming years, with external pressure from unsettled U.S. tariffs, while Lai shows no signs of compromise with the opposition.