Published: May 19, 2026, 18:46 IST | Updated: May 19, 2026, 18:46 IST
Taiwan’s political tensions escalated after opposition parties launched impeachment proceedings against President Lai Ching-te over disputes surrounding a massive defence budget proposal. Opposition lawmakers from the KMT and TPP accused Lai of acting like a “dictator” and rejected the government’s proposed $40 billion defence spending plan. Although 56 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion and 50 opposed it, the impeachment effort failed to secure the minimum number of votes required to pass.