Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai defends refusal to countersign eight bills

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai addressed the importance of media autonomy and government transparency during the 23rd Golden Archive and Gold Quality Awards ceremony. Cho defended his decision to refuse to countersign eight different bills, describing his role as a “goalkeeper” protecting democratic principles.

Specifically, Cho cited three legislative amendments to the Satellite Broadcasting Act, Cable Broadcasting Act, and Broadcasting Act as reasons for his refusal to countersign. He argued these changes would allow military and political entities to intervene in media management through shareholding, thereby undermining media independence. He also refused to countersign amendments to the Legislative Yuan Organization Act, stating it would effectively decriminalize the misuse of legislative assistants' salaries.

Regarding government operations, Cho emphasized the importance of archive management in preserving national history and supporting the “Smart Nation 2.0” initiative. He noted that the establishment of the National Archives is a vital step for Taiwan's democratic development, ensuring that historical records from the martial law era are preserved to help future generations understand the country's progress toward democracy and sovereignty.