Thousands protest outside Taiwan’s parliament after reforms reducing president’s power passed

The recent passing of legislative reforms in Taiwan has sparked massive protests outside the parliament, with thousands of people gathering to voice their opposition. The changes, which are seen as reducing the power of President William Lai Ching-te and his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, were pushed through by the opposition nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party.

The new bill gives lawmakers the authority to demand regular reports from the president, control over budgets including defense spending, and the ability to require disclosure of information from the military and private entities. This move has been met with strong resistance from supporters of the DPP, who accuse the opposition of undermining Taiwan’s democracy.

During the heated debate in the legislative chamber, tensions escalated with DPP lawmakers throwing rubbish bags and paper planes at their opposition counterparts. The DPP leader, Ker Chien-ming, condemned the reforms as a power grab influenced by Beijing, while opposition lawmakers called for transparency and sunlight in parliament.

Meanwhile, China’s ongoing military presence near Taiwan continues to escalate, with the Ministry of National Defense reporting multiple warplanes and naval ships in the region. The United States has expressed support for Taiwan’s defense against Chinese aggression, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.

The passing of these controversial reforms has deepened the divide between pro-independence and pro-reunification factions in Taiwan, setting the stage for further political turmoil and unrest in the region.