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Taiwan
ChinaPolitics

Taiwan parliament in turmoil again over disputed nomination

  • Opposition lawmakers knock down voting booths while supporters scuffle with police outside to protest ‘cronyism’
  • President Tsai Ing-wen under fire over bid to appoint senior aide to government watchdog post

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Scuffles break out during voting at Taiwan’s parliament on Friday between opposition and government lawmakers. Photo: AFP
Reuters
Fighting broke out again at Taiwan’s parliament on Friday as opposition lawmakers continued to bitterly oppose the nomination by President Tsai Ing-wen of a senior aide to a top government watchdog post.
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The Kuomintang (KMT) has labelled the nomination of Chen Chu to head the Control Yuan, an independent government watchdog, as “cronyism” and mounted a noisy campaign to try and prevent the move.

Earlier this week the KMT – which was soundly beaten by Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in January’s elections – occupied the parliament’s main chamber for three days.

Several KMT lawmakers on Friday knocked down voting booths inside the chamber to block DPP legislators from casting ballots over the nomination. The KMT has accused the DPP of cheating in part of the vote on nomination this week.

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Fighting erupts again in Taiwan parliament over disputed nomination for government watchdog post

Fighting erupts again in Taiwan parliament over disputed nomination for government watchdog post

The voting went ahead despite shouting and protests from KMT lawmakers, who held banners reading “invalid vote”.

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About 100 KMT supporters outside the parliament fought with police and some tried to break through barricades, calling on the DPP to withdraw the nomination.

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