Taiwan Legislature Passes Impeachment Proposal Against Lai Ching-te, Sets Timetable

Dec 26, 2025 at 05:45 PM

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Lanka Leader

(Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (left) holds a press conference at the Legislative Yuan on Friday explaining the rationale behind initiating impeachment proceedings against President Lai Ching-te. CNA photo Dec. 26, 2025)

Lawmakers in Taiwan on Friday voted to approve an impeachment proposal against regional leader Lai Ching-te, with 60 votes in favor and 51 against, according to Taiwan-based media reports. The proposal was initiated by opposition parties, which also announced a detailed timetable for the impeachment proceedings following the vote.

The move follows a press conference held on December 19 by lawmakers from the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), where they unveiled plans to pursue impeachment. An online petition supporting the move has reportedly gathered more than eight million signatures as of Friday.

Under the announced schedule, Lai is required to appear before the legislative body on January 21 and 22, 2026, to deliver an explanation and answer lawmakers’ questions, according to island-based outlet udn.com. A second full committee meeting of the impeachment proceedings is scheduled for May 13 and 14, 2026, during which Lai would again be required to testify. The final vote on the impeachment case is set for May 19, 2026, nearly two years after Lai took office.

Speaking after the vote, KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi accused Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of “causing political chaos.” TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang said the impeachment was necessary, accusing Lai of undermining legislative authority and judicial power, according to local media reports.

The impeachment plan also targets Cho Jung-tai, head of the island’s executive body, and comes amid a standoff between the legislature and the executive branch over amendments to a revenue allocation law passed earlier by lawmakers.

Under regulations in the Taiwan region, an impeachment proposal against the regional leader or deputy leader requires initiation by at least half of lawmakers and approval by more than two-thirds of the legislature. The case is then reviewed by the “grand justices,” with impeachment confirmed only if more than two-thirds of them—no fewer than nine—agree, resulting in removal from office.

Wang Jianmin, a research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that while successfully removing Lai would be extremely difficult under the current legal framework, the impeachment effort reflects public sentiment and serves as a political warning to the Lai authorities and the DPP.

The impeachment comes about five months after the DPP launched recall campaigns against 24 KMT lawmakers, all of which failed. It also coincides with preparations for Taiwan’s 2026 local elections, where the KMT currently holds a majority of local leadership positions.

Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, said Lai is unlikely to cooperate fully with the impeachment inquiry and may take a more confrontational approach. He added that the dispute underscores deepening divisions between opposition parties and the DPP, as well as growing tensions between the executive and legislative branches.

Analysts warned that continued political polarization could further strain governance and increase social instability on the island