Proposes KMT for a two-phase presidential voting setup
KMT Proposes Two-Round Presidential Vote System for Improved Legitimacy and Stability
KMT legislator Lo Chih-chiang, along with Yeh Yuan-chih, Weng Hsiao-ling, and Wu Tsung-hsien, have proposed constitutional and legal changes to implement a two-round absolute majority presidential election system for electing the president by 2028. The proposed changes aim to amend the Constitution and revise election laws to address the difficulties faced by minority presidents and improve the election atmosphere.
The proposed two-round presidential election system is intended to address the issue of strategic voting, where voters might choose a less preferred candidate to prevent another from winning. This system allows a president to win only with more than half of the votes, in contrast to the current system. Lo Chih-chiang criticized the current plurality system for promoting a negative election atmosphere and manipulation of strategic voting.
The proposal also suggests that the reforms will help Taiwan avoid constant confrontation and division, and move toward harmony and unity. It is believed that the reforms will encourage presidential candidates to move toward the center, compromise, and moderate. Yeh Yuan-chih expressed this belief, stating that the reforms will be beneficial for Taiwan.
However, the proposed changes do not detail how the two-round presidential election system would be implemented in practice. They also do not specify how they will address the difficulties faced by minority presidents or manage the increased election expenses from a two-round system. Additionally, the proposed changes do not include any measures to address the issue of party control over the presidency and legislature.
Most KMT lawmakers support the reform, and Lo has privately exchanged views with Taiwan People's Party lawmakers to build cross-party consensus. Weng Hsiao-ling stated that more than 70% of countries with direct presidential elections use a two-round system. The proposal refers to a situation where one party controls the presidency but does not command a majority in the legislature, a situation that has existed in Taiwan since the 2020 election under President William Lai's Democratic Progressive Party administration.
Although a two-round presidential election might increase election expenses, it is considered worth it for democratic legitimacy and political stability, according to Wu Tsung-hsien. The proposed changes aim to strengthen the president's legitimacy and improve the election atmosphere. However, there are no search results providing information about political parties submitting proposals to change the presidential election system to an absolute majority two-round system or about the current status of support from other parties.
As the proposed changes move forward, it will be interesting to see how they are implemented and whether they will bring about the desired improvements in democratic legitimacy, political stability, and election atmosphere in Taiwan.
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