“I am worried about the Legislative Yuan and the future of Taiwan,” Lai said on Facebook.
Lai, who will assume the presidency on Monday (May 20) expressed sympathy for the lawmakers who were injured and thanked the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators who dealt with “unfair procedures.”
Throughout the day on Friday, Kuomintang (KMT) legislators and DPP legislators pushed and shoved one another on the floor of the Legislative Yuan in an effort to control the rostrum. The KMT’s numerical advantage in the chamber and Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) authority over proceedings limited the DPP’s ability to affect any legislative outcome.
Lai shared his message on the shocking scenes early Saturday (May 18) morning. “In the face of unfair procedures, (DPP lawmakers) still fought until the last moment, displaying our resolve to protect democracy,” said Lai.
The conflict erupted because the DPP disagree with legislation proposed by the KMT to reform the Legislative Yuan and its oversight by the president and Executive Yuan. Many DPP lawmakers view the motions as an effort to handicap the incoming Lai administration.
On Friday afternoon at the Legislative Yuan the convener of the KMT caucus Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) took aim at Lai and the DPP, calling the DPP lawmakers violent and saying they set a bad example for the people of Taiwan.
He called on Lai to take a good look at the conduct of his fellow party members and to demand better behavior on the floor of the Legislative Yuan, reported UDN.
In his message on social media, Lai said that he stands ready to carry out his duties as president and that he will abide by the constitution. He ended his message with a call for rational discussion between the parties in the Legislative Yuan to “restore harmony” to achieve consensus and better serve the people of Taiwan.
