Presidential Impeachment Motion Fails; KMT Calls it a 'Mark of Shame'
The Legislative Yuan voted on an impeachment motion against President Lai Ching-te on the 19th, which failed to meet the required threshold. A total of 56 legislators from the opposition KMT and TPP voted in favor, while 50 legislators from the ruling DPP voted against. The KMT later stated that Lai has become the first president in the constitutional history of the Republic of China to face a formal impeachment proposal and vote by the legislature, leaving a 'mark of shame' and criticizing him as a 'dictator president.'
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 16:56
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 17:31 (35 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 19:31 (1h 59m after Collected)
(CNA, Taipei, May 19, by reporter Liu Kuan-ting) The Legislative Yuan held a vote today on an impeachment motion against President Lai Ching-te, but the result did not meet the threshold for passage. The Kuomintang (KMT) stated that President Lai has become the first president in the constitutional history of the Republic of China to be formally proposed for impeachment and face a vote in the legislature, leaving a 'mark of shame' on ROC constitutional history.
The Legislative Yuan conducted a recorded vote on the impeachment motion against President Lai today, with both the ruling and opposition parties mobilizing their members. The vote resulted in 56 legislators from the pan-blue and white camps voting in favor of the impeachment, while 50 legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) voted against it. According to regulations, the motion failed as it did not reach the passage threshold.
The KMT issued a press release stating that today's impeachment motion in the legislature represents a 'constitutional stain' from President Lai's two years in office, characterized by abuse of executive power, violating the constitution and disrupting governance, tearing society apart, and trampling on democracy and the rule of law. Although the impeachment motion did not pass, history will record this shameful day for President Lai, the KMT said.
The KMT pointed out that the DPP can deceive itself and refuse to face the fact that President Lai only escaped due to the high constitutional threshold for impeachment. However, today's motion has clearly told the entire nation that President Lai has allowed executive power to become abusive and supreme, turning him into a 'dictator president,' and that Premier Cho Jung-tai has been reduced to a 'dictator's thug,' plunging Taiwan's democratic constitutional system into a great catastrophe.
The KMT emphasized that President Lai was not smeared by the opposition but was brought to the stand of impeachment by his own unconstitutional and illegal actions, his disruption of constitutional governance, his erroneous path, and his arrogant rule. The KMT will continue to uphold the constitutional system of the Republic of China, stand firm in its position of parliamentary oversight, safeguard the people's interests, and speak up for the system, absolutely not tolerating any president who places himself above the Constitution, the legislature, and the people. (Edited by Su Lung-chi, Chang Jo-yao) 1150519
The Legislative Yuan conducted a recorded vote on the impeachment motion against President Lai today, with both the ruling and opposition parties mobilizing their members. The vote resulted in 56 legislators from the pan-blue and white camps voting in favor of the impeachment, while 50 legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) voted against it. According to regulations, the motion failed as it did not reach the passage threshold.
The KMT issued a press release stating that today's impeachment motion in the legislature represents a 'constitutional stain' from President Lai's two years in office, characterized by abuse of executive power, violating the constitution and disrupting governance, tearing society apart, and trampling on democracy and the rule of law. Although the impeachment motion did not pass, history will record this shameful day for President Lai, the KMT said.
The KMT pointed out that the DPP can deceive itself and refuse to face the fact that President Lai only escaped due to the high constitutional threshold for impeachment. However, today's motion has clearly told the entire nation that President Lai has allowed executive power to become abusive and supreme, turning him into a 'dictator president,' and that Premier Cho Jung-tai has been reduced to a 'dictator's thug,' plunging Taiwan's democratic constitutional system into a great catastrophe.
The KMT emphasized that President Lai was not smeared by the opposition but was brought to the stand of impeachment by his own unconstitutional and illegal actions, his disruption of constitutional governance, his erroneous path, and his arrogant rule. The KMT will continue to uphold the constitutional system of the Republic of China, stand firm in its position of parliamentary oversight, safeguard the people's interests, and speak up for the system, absolutely not tolerating any president who places himself above the Constitution, the legislature, and the people. (Edited by Su Lung-chi, Chang Jo-yao) 1150519