FACT FOCUS
- The ROC president and vice president are
directly elected every four years.
- In Taiwan’s legislative elections, each
voter casts one ballot for their district and
another for at-large seats.
- Government Agencies
The ROC Constitution, promulgated Jan. 1,
1947, did not begin to serve its intended
purpose as the foundation for democratic
governance and rule of law until after 1987,
when martial law was lifted in Taiwan. Since
then, it has undergone seven rounds of
revision in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2005 to make it more relevant to the country’s
contemporary conditions.
One of the important consequences of these
amendments is that since 1991, the government has
acknowledged that its jurisdiction extends only to
the areas it controls. The president and legislators,
therefore, are elected by and accountable to the
people of those areas only.
In accordance with constitutional amendments
promulgated in June 2005, the number of seats in
the Legislative Yuan was halved from 225 to 113 and
legislators’ terms were increased from three to four
years. Under the new legislative election system,
each electoral district elects just one seat. Each voter
casts two ballots—one for the district and the other
for at-large seats. The power to ratify constitutional
amendments is now exercised by citizens through
referendums.
The historic Presidential
Office Building in Taipei City(Pang Chia-shan)
Levels of Government
The central government comprises the presidency
and five major branches, or yuans. The local
governments at present include those of six special
municipalities, 13 counties and three autonomous
municipalities with the same hierarchical status
as counties. Beginning in 2014, all heads and
representatives of local governments are popularly
elected simultaneously in cities and counties across
Taiwan every four years. In addition, there are 198
county-administered townships and cities, as well as 170 districts—including six Indigenous mountain
districts—in autonomous and special municipalities.
Special municipalities are top-level administrative
entities that fall under the direct jurisdiction of the
central government. They play an important role in leading regional development. This status gives
access to greater funding and the opportunity to
set up additional agencies and employ more civil
servants. The six special municipalities are, in order of
population, New Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Taipei,
Taoyuan and Tainan cities.
Presidency and Premiership
The president and vice president are directly elected,
serve terms of four years and may be re-elected
for one additional term. The president is head of
state and commander in chief of the armed forces,
represents the nation in foreign relations and is
empowered to appoint heads of four branches of
the government, including the premier, who leads
the Executive Yuan, or Cabinet, and must report
regularly to the Legislative Yuan, or Legislature. The
heads of ministries, commissions and agencies under
the Executive Yuan are appointed by the premier
and form the Executive Yuan Council. To improve
administrative effectiveness, the Executive Yuan is
undergoing restructuring to reduce the number of
Cabinet-level organizations from 37 to 30.
After the reorganization, which commenced at the
start of 2012, the Executive Yuan will consist of 14
ministries, nine councils, three independent agencies
and four other organizations. Under the ROC
Constitution, neither the president’s appointment
of the premier nor the premier’s appointment of
ministers is subject to legislative confirmation.
Presidential appointment of the members of the
Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan, as well as
justices of the Judicial Yuan, must be confirmed by
the Legislature. Lawmakers elect the president of the
Legislature, or speaker, from among their ranks.
Political Parties
Given the key role of the presidency in the overall
functioning of the government, the term “ruling party”
denotes which political party occupies the Presidential
Office. The Kuomintang held the presidency in Taiwan
for more than five decades before the Democratic
Progressive Party won the 2000 and 2004 presidential
elections. The KMT returned to power in 2008 and in
2012. The DPP won the 2016 and 2020 presidential
elections, marking the third transition of power since
the country’s democratization. The next presidential
election will be held in January 2024.
In the January 2020 legislative elections, the DPP
gained 54 percent of the seats in the Legislature, while
the KMT secured 34 percent. Other major parties that
have a presence in the Legislature include the Taiwan
People’s Party and the New Power Party.