Han Guoyu is so dictatorial! Zhuo Rongtai fought back forcefully: Failure to countersign is a necessary way to safeguard constitutional government
Quick Look
Executive Yuan Zhuo Rongtai responded to Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu's criticism during the National Day unscripted performance, pointing out that the Executive Yuan's decision not to countersign unconstitutional and illegal bills and budgets is based on the constitutional rights and obligations of maintaining constitutional order, and emphasized that it is willing to communicate with the Legislative Yuan on the premise of jointly safeguarding national fiscal discipline and constitutional legal policies.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Legislative Yuan Han Guoyu criticized Executive Yuan Zhuo Rongtai for not countersigning during an unscripted National Day performance, and accused the ruling party of "fake democracy, real dictatorship." Zhuo Yongtai pointed out that in the past, the Executive Yuan was still unable to obtain justice for unconstitutional and illegal bills and budgets through review and interpretation by the justices. Taking the amendment of the fiscal revenue and expenditure division law as an example, the Legislative Yuan remained unmoved. Therefore, the Executive Yuan's exercise of the right not to countersign is a necessary measure to maintain constitutional order.
Executive President Zhuo Wengtai. (Photo by reporter Wang Yisong)
Legislative President Han Kuo-yu recently performed unscripted during the National Day, criticizing Executive President Zhuo Rongtai for not countersigning and the ruling party's "fake democracy, real dictatorship." In an interview with the Legislative Yuan today, Zhuo Rongtai said that in the past, the Executive Yuan was unable to obtain final justice through review and the interpretation of the Supreme Court for some unconstitutional and illegal related bills and budgets, such as the amendment of the "Fiscal Revenue and Expenditure Division Law". Therefore, based on the maintenance of constitutional order, the Executive Yuan adopts unspecified constitutional rights and obligations, which is a passive and necessary approach.
Zhuo Rongtai pointed out that the President also said something at the National Day Convention, which can confirm the current relationship between the executive and legislative chambers. The president said: "Taiwan, a city on a hill, will not shine because there are no differences. Rather, even if we have different opinions, everyone still respects each other, believes in the system, and is more willing to work together to protect the country."
Please read on...
Zhuo Yongtai said that the executive and legislative chambers have different opinions on the spirit of constitutionalism, order, and the separation of powers between the two chambers. In the past, the Executive Yuan has tried to review some unconstitutional and illegal related bills and budgets through review and interpretation by the justices, but it has been unable to achieve final justice. For example, if the first revision of the "Law on the Division of Fiscal Revenue and Expenditures" contains an obvious error in the calculation formula, the Executive Yuan has the reasons to point it out clearly, but the Legislative Yuan remains unmoved and will continue to complete it through another revision of the law.
He emphasized that the Executive Yuan adopts non-subrogated constitutional rights and obligations based on the maintenance of constitutional order. This is a passive and necessary approach. In the future, among the executive and legislative chambers, as long as the Legislative Yuan is willing to adhere to the spirit and order of the Constitution, as well as jointly maintain national fiscal discipline, legal and constitutional legal policies and budgets, the Executive Yuan welcomes any suggestions that the Legislative Yuan can make to the Executive Yuan on what has happened in the past and is currently ongoing. The Executive Yuan is willing to open its doors to communicate with the Legislative Yuan.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Executive Yuan will continue to refrain from countersigning unconstitutional budgets or bills
Likely · Within months
The Legislative Yuan will propose amendments to the budget or bill content to the Executive Yuan
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the Legislative Yuan make specific suggestions on amending the law on the division of fiscal revenue and expenditure?
- How will the future communication mechanism between the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan work?
- Are there any other unconstitutional bills that will face non-countersigning?
