Video: Taiwanese legislator grabs bill and flees to prevent its passage | Global News

Chaotic scenes erupted in the Taiwan parliament on Friday as lawmakers engaged in physical altercations over proposed chamber reforms. The altercations unfolded just before president-elect Lai Ching-te was set to assume office without a legislative majority.

The flashpoint of the conflict stemmed from the opposition’s push to grant parliament more power to oversee the government, including a controversial plan to criminalize officials for making false statements in parliament. The tension escalated into an all-out brawl, with DPP lawmaker Kuo Kuo-wen taking drastic action by snatching the bill documents and fleeing to disrupt the proceedings.

The situation spiraled out of control, leading to several lawmakers being hospitalized after a day-long scuffle at the legislature. The review of several contentious parliamentary reform bills was halted until May 21, bringing the legislative process to a standstill.

President-elect Lai, who won the January election but lacks a parliamentary majority, is facing challenges as the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has more seats but not enough for a majority. The collaboration between the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has further complicated the political landscape.

The DPP accuses the KMT and TPP of rushing proposals without proper consultation, labeling it as an unconstitutional abuse of power. The ongoing slugfest over parliamentary reform highlights the deep-rooted political divisions in Taiwan’s parliament, which has a history of brawls and contentious debates.