Verfassungsreform auf Taiwan in den neunziger Jahren

Abstract

In July 1997 Taiwan’s National Assembly passed a new series of constitutional amendment bills which fundamentally alter the relationships between the president, the premier and the legislature. The amendments also change the scope of interaction between Taiwan’s central administration and the provincial government. Among the new articles the legislative power to approve the president’s nomination of the premier is removed. At the same time the legislature is entitled to initiate a non-confidence vote against the premier. On downscaling the Taiwan provincial government the amendments suspended the elections for the Taiwan Provincial Governor and the Provincial Assembly. The changes resolve a constitutional conflict between the president and the Legislative Yuan about the nomination of the premier, which paralysed the functioning of Taiwan's constitutional system in 1996. They furthermore confirm the development of Taiwan’s political system from a vaguely defined parliamentary system into a semi-presidential system. The article reviews the constitutional debate on Taiwan since 1990. By analysing the political structure before the last constitutional amendments, the author is able to identify the main weaknesses in the governmental system and inter-institutional relations. These weaknesses are the key to understand the constitutional crisis and the continuing efforts to reform the political system on Taiwan.