CHAOS erupted in Taiwan’s parliament on Friday as lawmakers clashed amid a dispute over reforms to the chamber ahead of President-elect Lai Ching-te’s inauguration.
Footage shows MPs pushing and shoving as they surged into the chamber and surrounded the speaker. A lawmaker is shown leaping over a table while others throw water. An injured politician is later seen being taken from the scene on a stretcher.
Despite his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) losing its parliamentary majority, Lai is set to be inaugurated on Monday after winning January’s presidential election.
Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) has formed a coalition with the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), seeking greater powers over the government.
This comes as the coalition aims to criminalize lawmakers who make false statements in parliament, a move the DPP claims breaches standard procedures.
Lawmakers from all three parties were reportedly involved in the scuffles.
