Taipei: Lawmakers from the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s main opposition party, on Wednesday proposed constitutional and legal changes to create a two-round absolute majority system for choosing Taiwan’s president in time for the 2028 election. KMT Lawmaker Lo Chih-chiang announced at a Legislative Yuan news conference that he, along with KMT Lawmakers Yeh Yuan-chih, Weng Hsiao-ling, and Wu Tsung-hsien, will submit draft constitutional and legal amendments in the new legislative session.

According to Focus Taiwan, Lo explained that the proposal consists of two parts: amending the Constitution to change the presidential election system to an absolute majority two-round system, and revising election laws to address the challenges posed by minority presidents. Lo referred to the current situation in Taiwan, where one party controls the presidency but lacks a majority in the national legislature, a scenario that has persisted since the 2024 election under President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.

Lo argued that a two-round presidential vote would enable voters in the first round to support their preferred candidate without the concern that strategic voting might result in the election of the least favored candidate. He criticized the current relative majority system for encouraging candidates to split the opponent’s camp and manipulate strategic voting, which he claimed generates a negative election atmosphere. He believes the proposed changes could enhance the election atmosphere and bolster the president’s legitimacy.

KMT Lawmaker Weng Hsiao-ling highlighted that more than 70 percent of the over 40 countries with direct presidential elections use a two-round system. In contrast, Taiwan’s current system allows a president to win without obtaining more than half of the votes. Wu Tsung-hsien acknowledged that a two-round presidential vote might increase election expenses but considered it worthwhile for democratic legitimacy and political stability.

Yeh Yuan-chih added that the reforms would motivate presidential candidates to adopt a more centrist approach, promoting compromise and moderation, which would help Taiwan avoid constant confrontation and division, moving the country toward harmony and unity.