Taiwan’s legislative body has appointed Han Kuo-yu, a member of the China-friendly opposition Kuomintang (KMT), as its new speaker. Analysts suggest that this move may result in legislative challenges and potentially offer Beijing an opportunity to influence Taiwan’s domestic politics.
According to Lev Nachman, a political scientist at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, “We are in for a very slow and lacklustre set of time in which we are not going to see any sort of policy being able to be passed with this kind of stonewall approach to politics.”
Han Kuo-yu, representing the China-friendly opposition Kuomintang, has been elected as the new speaker in Taiwan’s legislature. This development comes as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential election but lost its legislative majority. During the vote, Han received 54 votes, while the DPP’s candidate, You Si-kun, obtained 51 votes.
The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) initially participated in the speaker election but later abstained from voting in the second round. Newly elected speaker Han Kuo-yu expressed hope for collaboration among all three political parties on crucial social and economic matters, emphasizing the public’s expectation for a united and reformed Legislative Yuan.
Taiwanese Premier Chen Chien-jen congratulated newly elected speaker Han Kuo-yu and expressed the commitment of his office to engage with the new legislature. He highlighted the dedication to communication and responsiveness to feedback from civil society regarding key policy agendas.
Taiwan’s government faces division, with the pro-sovereignty DPP in the executive branch and the opposition KMT holding the legislature’s largest bloc and speakership. Both lack the votes for legislation without TPP support, which maintains a middle-ground stance toward China, emphasizing engagement while safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Experts suggest that proposed legislation concerning national defense, foreign policy, or cross-strait relations is expected to encounter substantial challenges in the new legislature. Yeh Yao-yuan, a Taiwan politics expert at the University of St. Thomas in Texas, expressed this viewpoint, emphasizing potential obstacles to such policy initiatives.
Negotiations among political parties are anticipated to be more crucial for defense and cross-strait-related legislation. However, Yeh highlighted that policy proposals benefiting the majority of Taiwanese citizens, including education and healthcare initiatives, may offer opportunities for cooperation.
Yeh said, “The most important aspect in Taiwan’s legislature is negotiation between political parties, so with the new legislature taking office today, one important thing to keep an eye on is what will be the outcome of party negotiation in the legislature and whether they can facilitate proper negotiations.”
Image source: ANI
