Introduction - Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

The ROC Constitution was adopted on December 25, 1946, by the National Assembly convened in Nanking. It was promulgated by the National Government on ... Tothecentralcontentarea ::: SitemapLineFacebookFlickrYouTubeWritetothePresidentRSS ::: HomeROCintroductionConstitutionoftheRepublicofChina(Taiwan)Introduction ConstitutionoftheRepublicofChina(Taiwan) facebookshareLineshareTwittersharePlurkshare print IntroductionIntroductionMaintextAdditionalArticles 中文 Introduction 　Enactmentandfeatures　　 TheROCConstitutionwasadoptedonDecember25,1946,bytheNationalAssemblyconvenedinNanking.ItwaspromulgatedbytheNationalGovernmentonJanuary1,1947,andputintoeffectonDecember25ofthesameyear.Inadditiontothepreamble,theConstitutioncomprises175articlesin14chapters.InessencetheConstitutionembodiestheidealof"sovereigntyofthepeople,"guaranteeshumanrightsandfreedoms,providesforacentralgovernmentwithfivebranchesandalocalself-governmentsystem,ensuresabalanceddivisionofpowersbetweenthecentralandlocalgovernments,andstipulatesfundamentalnationalpolicies.   　TemporaryProvisions　 InthefaceoftheChinesecommunistthreat,theNationalAssemblyonApril18,1948,addedtotheConstitutionasetofTemporaryProvisionsEffectiveduringthePeriodofCommunistRebellion.PromulgatedbytheNationalGovernmentonMay10ofthesameyear,theTemporaryProvisionswhichsupersededtheConstitutionweredesignedtoenhancepresidentialpowerduringtheemergencyperiodofcommunistuprising.Forexample,thepresidentwasempoweredduringthePeriodofCommunistRebelliontotakeemergencymeasurestoavertimminentdangertothesecurityofthenationorofthepeople,establishanorganformakingmajorpolicydecisionsconcernedwithnationalmobilizationandsuppressionoftheCommunistrebellion,makeadjustmentsintheadministrativeandpersonnelorgansofthecentralgovernment,andinitiateregulationsgoverningtheelectionsforadditionalseatsinthethreeparliamentarybodies.Inaddition,theTemporaryProvisionsallowedforthepresidentandthevicepresidenttobere-electedwithoutbeingsubjecttothetwo-termrestrictionprescribedinArticle47oftheConstitution. FollowingaradicallychangeddomesticsituationandreducedtensionintheTaiwanStraitinthelate1980s,theNationalAssemblyonApril22,1991,resolvedtoabolishtheTemporaryProvisionswithaviewtowardfosteringthehealthydevelopmentofconstitutionaldemocracyandenhancingsocialharmonyandprogress.OnApril30ofthesameyear,PresidentLeeTeng-huiannouncedthatthePeriodofCommunistRebellionwouldbeterminatedonMay1.   　Firstrevision　　 NotwithstandingtheterminationofthePeriodofCommunistRebellion,somearticlesintheConstitutionremainedinapplicabletotheTaiwanarea.TomeetthecurrentdemandsofconstitutionalrulebeforenationalunificationandupholdtheprincipleofneitheramendingthemaintextoftheConstitutionnorchangingthefive-powerconstitutionalsystem,theFirstNationalAssembly,atitssecondextraordinarysessiononApril22,1991,adoptedArticles1through10oftheAdditionalArticlesoftheConstitutionoftheRepublicofChina.PromulgatedbythepresidentonMay1ofthatsameyear,thekeyprovisionsoftheadditionalarticles: Stipulatethelegalbasis,numberofelectedrepresentatives,electionmethodandtiming,andtermofofficefortheSecondNationalAssembly,theSecondLegislativeYuanandtheSecondControlYuan. Authorizethepresidenttoissueemergencydecreestoavertimminentdangertothesecurityofthenationorofthepeople. StipulatethatrightsandobligationsbetweenpeopleonthetwosidesoftheTaiwanStraitmaybespeciallyregulatedbylaw. Protecttherighttopoliticalparticipationof“shanbao”(mountainpeople). 　   　Secondrevision　　 AftertheSecondNationalAssemblywaselectedinDecember1991,itmetforitsfirstextraordinarysessionfromMarchtoMayofthefollowingyear.OnMay27,1992,eightamendmentswereadoptedbytheAssemblyandpromulgatedbythepresidentonMay28.Thehighlightsoftheseadditionalarticlesareasfollows: WhentheNationalAssemblyconvenes,itmayhearareportonthestateofthenationbythepresident.BeginningwiththeThirdNationalAssembly,delegatestotheNationalAssemblyshallbeelectedeveryfouryears. ThepresidentandthevicepresidentshallbeelectedbythepeopleinthefreeareaoftheRepublicofChinafor,atmost,twotermsoffouryearseach. Localself-governmentisgrantedalegalbasisandtheprovincialgovernorandmunicipalmayorsshallbeelectedbypopularvote. MembersoftheControlYuan,heretoforeelectedbytheprovincialandmunicipalcouncils,shallbenominatedbythepresident,andpresidentialnominationstotheExaminationYuan,JudicialYuan,andControlYuanshallbesubjecttotheconsentoftheNationalAssembly. Thefocusoffundamentalnationalpoliciesisexpandedtoincludepromotionofculture,scienceandtechnology,environmentalprotection,andeconomicdevelopment,andtosafeguardtheinterestsofwomen,aborigines,thehandicapped,andthepeopleofoffshoreislands. ThegrandjusticesoftheJudicialYuanshallformaconstitutionaltribunaltoadjudicateonthedissolutionofpoliticalpartiesforconstitutionalviolations. 　   　Thirdrevision　　 OnJuly28,1994duringitsfourthextraordinarysession,theSecondNationalAssemblyadoptedtennewarticlestoreplacethepreviouseighteenAdditionalArticles.PromulgatedbythepresidentonAugust1ofthatsameyear,amongothermatters,themajorstipulationsare: BeginningwiththeThirdNationalAssembly,theNationalAssemblyshallhaveaspeakerandadeputyspeaker. Thepresidentandvicepresidentshallbeelectedbydirectpopularvote,whilearecallofthepresidentandthevicepresidentmustbeproposedbytheNationalAssemblyandsuchproposalshallbedecidedbyavoteofthepeople. PresidentialorderstoappointorremovefromofficepersonnelappointedwiththeconfirmationoftheNationalAssemblyorLegislativeYuaninaccordancewiththeConstitutiondonotrequirethecounter-signatureofthepremier. Theterm“shanbao”(mountainpeople)shallberemoved,andreplacedwiththeterm“indigenouspeople.” 　   　Fourthrevision　　 Duringitssecondsession,theThirdNationalAssemblyadoptedelevennewamendmentsonJuly18,1997toreplacethetenamendments.PromulgatedbythepresidentonJuly21ofthesameyear,themostimportantstipulationsare: ThepresidentoftheExecutiveYuanshallbeappointedbythepresident,requiringnoconsentoftheLegislativeYuan. Thepresidentmay,withintendaysfollowingthepassagebytheLegislativeYuanofano-confidencevoteagainstthepresidentoftheExecutiveYuan,declarethedissolutionoftheLegislativeYuanafterconsultingwithitspresident. ThepowertoimpeachthepresidentorthevicepresidentshallbetransferredfromtheControlYuantotheLegislativeYuan,andsuchactionshallbeinitiatedforhightreasonorrebelliononly. TheExecutiveYuanmayrequesttheLegislativeYuantoreconsiderthepassageofabillthatitdeemsdifficulttoexecute;but,shouldmorethanone-half,ratherthantwo-thirds,ofthetotalnumberofLegislativeYuanmembersupholdtheoriginalpassageofthebill,thepresidentoftheExecutiveYuanshallimmediatelyacceptsaidbill. TheLegislativeYuanshallhave225membersstartingwiththeFourthLegislativeYuan. Beginningfromtheyear2003,theJudicialYuanshallhave15grandjustices,includingapresidentandavicepresidentoftheJudicialYuan.EachgrandjusticeoftheJudicialYuanshallserveatermofeightyears,independentoftheorderofappointmenttooffice,andshallnotserveconsecutiveterms. ThebudgetoftheJudicialYuanshallbeindependent,nolongerrequiringtheapprovaloftheExecutiveYuan. Taiwanprovincialelectionsshallbesuspended;Taiwanprovinceshallhaveaprovincialgovernmentandaprovincialadvisorycouncil;themembersoftheprovincialgovernment,oneofwhomshallbetheprovincialgovernor,shallbenominatedbythepresidentoftheExecutiveYuanandappointedbythepresidentoftheRepublic. TheStateshallassistandprotectthesurvivalanddevelopmentofsmallandmediumenterprises. Therequirementofminimumfundingforeducation,scienceandcultureshallbeabolished. TheStateaffirmsculturalpluralismandshallactivelypreserveandfosterthedevelopmentofaboriginallanguagesandcultures. TheStateshall,inaccordancewiththewillofethnicgroups,protectandassistindigenouspeoples,andpromotetheirdevelopment. 　   　Fifthrevision　　 OnSeptember3,1999,theThirdNationalAssemblyadoptedamendmentstoArticles1,4,9,and10initsfourthsession.PromulgatedbythepresidentonSeptember15ofthesameyear,theamendmentsprovideasfollows: TheFourthNationalAssemblyshallhave300delegates,andbeginningwiththeFifthNationalAssembly,theNationalAssemblyshallhave150delegates,whoshallbeelectedbyproportionalrepresentationbasedonthecompositionoftheLegislativeYuan.Theseatsshallbedistributedamongtheparticipatingpoliticalparties,inaccordancewiththeproportionofvoteswonbythecandidatesnominatedbyeachpartyandthosemembersofthepartiesrunningasindependentcandidates. ShouldanelectionoftheLegislativeYuanbeheldduringtheNationalAssembly'stenure,theNationalAssemblyshallalsobere-elected.Adelegatewhoisre-electedmayserveconsecutiveterms.ThetermofofficeoftheThirdNationalAssemblyshallbeextendedtothedaywhenthetermofofficeoftheFourthLegislativeYuanexpires.TheprovisionsofParagraph1ofArticle28oftheConstitutionshallnotapply. ThetermofofficeoftheFourthLegislativeYuanshallbeextendedtoJune30,2002.TheFifthLegislativeYuanshallserveafour-yeartermofoffice,beginningonJuly1,2002.Adelegatewhoisre-electedmayserveconsecutiveterms.TheelectionofanewLegislativeYuanshallbeheldwithinsixtydaysbeforetheexpirationofthetermofofficeorsixtydaysafterthedissolutionoftheLegislativeYuan. TheStateshallemphasizesocialwelfareservices.Priorityshallbegiventofundingsocialreliefandassistance,andemploymentforcitizens. TheStateshallguaranteethewelfareandlivelihoodofretiredmilitaryservicemen. InadditiontothepeopleofKinmenandMatsu,theStateshallnowadditionallyprotectandassistthepeopleofPenghu.   OnMarch24,2000,theJudicialYuanissuedJ.Y.InterpretationNo.499,inwhichitdeclaredthattheFifthRevisionoftheAdditionalArticlesoftheConstitutionoftheRepublicofChinawouldbecomevoidasofthedateofissuanceoftheInterpretation,andthattheFourthRevisionoftheAdditionalArticlesasamendedonJuly21,1997wouldremaininforce.       　Sixthrevision　　 InApril2000,thefifthsessionoftheThirdNationalAssemblyamendedtheAdditionalArticlesoftheConstitutiononacomprehensivebasis.TheamendmentswereapprovedonApril24,2000andwerepromulgatedbythePresidentthenextday.Highlightsoftheamendmentsareasfollows: TheNationalAssemblyshallhave300delegates,whoshallbeelectedbyproportionalrepresentationwithinsixmonthsfollowingtheLegislativeYuan'spublicationofitsproposaltoamendtheConstitutionorchangethenation'sterritorialboundaries,orthreemonthsfollowingitsproposaltoimpeachthepresidentorvicepresident.Theprocessofproportionalrepresentationelectionshallbeprescribedbylaw. AprovisionalNationalAssemblyistovoteontheLegislativeYuan'sproposaltoamendtheConstitution,changethenation'sterritorialboundariesorimpeachthepresidentorvicepresident. TheNationalAssemblyshallbeconvenedwithintendaysaftertheelectionoutcomeisconfirmed.Thesessionshalllastnomorethanonemonthandthetenureofthedelegatesshallterminateonthedaywhenthesessionends.ThetenureofthemembersoftheThirdNationalAssemblyshallexpireonMay19,2000. Shouldtheofficeofthevicepresidentbecomevacant,thepowertoelectanewvicepresidentshallbetransferredtotheLegislativeYuan. TherecallofthepresidentorthevicepresidentshallbetransferredtotheLegislativeYuanandvoteduponbytheentirepopulace. TheLegislativeYuanshallhearareportonthestateofthenationbythePresidentduringitsannualsession. TheterritoryofthenationaccordingtoitsexistingnationalboundariesshallnotbealteredexceptbyresolutionoftheLegislativeYuanandconsentoftheNationalAssembly. Article81oftheConstitutionandtherelevantregulationsregardingholdingofficeforlifeshallnotbeapplicableforagrandjusticeoftheJudicialYuanunlesstheyhavebeentransferredfromthepostofjudge. ThepowerofconsenttoconfirmtheappointmentofpersonneltotheJudicialYuan,ExaminationYuanandControlYuannominatedbythePresidentshallbetransferredtotheLegislativeYuan. 　   　Seventhrevision　　 OnAugust23,2004,theFifthLegislativeYuanpasseditsfirstproposedrevisionoftheConstitutionoftheRepublicofChinasincetheConstitutionwasimplemented.TheLegislativeYuanannounceditsproposalonAugust26,2004.OnJune7,2005,theNationalAssemblyapprovedtheLegislature’sproposedrevisiontoArticles1,2,4,5,8,aswellastheadditionofArticle12totheConstitutionoftheROC.Therevision,whichcameasthe7threvisionoftheConstitution,waspromulgatedbythepresidentonJune10,2005.Therevisedcontentisasfollows: TheterritoryoftheRepublicofChina,definedbyitsexistingnationalboundaries,shallnotbealteredunlessinitiatedupontheproposalofone-fourthofthetotalmembersoftheLegislativeYuan,passedbyatleastthree-fourthsofthememberspresentatameetingattendedbyatleastthree-fourthsofthetotalmembersoftheLegislativeYuan,andsanctionedbyelectorsinthefreeareaoftheRepublicofChinaatareferendumhelduponexpirationofasix-monthperiodofpublicannouncementoftheproposal,whereinthenumberofvalidvotesinfavorexceedsone-halfofthetotalnumberofelectors. AmendmentoftheConstitutionshallbeinitiatedupontheproposalofone-fourthofthetotalmembersoftheLegislativeYuan,passedbyatleastthree-fourthsofthememberspresentatameetingattendedbyatleastthree-fourthsofthetotalmembersoftheLegislativeYuan,andsanctionedbyelectorsinthefreeareaoftheRepublicofChinaatareferendumhelduponexpirationofasix-monthperiodofpublicannouncementoftheproposal,whereinthenumberofvalidvotesinfavorexceedsone-halfofthetotalnumberofelectors. BeginningwiththeSeventhLegislativeYuan,theLegislativeYuanshallhave113members,whoshallserveatermoffouryears. Memberstofillthelegislativeseatsshallbeelectedasfollows: Seventy-threemembersshallbeelectedfromtheSpecialMunicipalities,counties,andcitiesinthefreearea.Atleastonemembershallbeelectedfromeachcountyandcity.Theseareasshallbedividedintoelectoralconstituenciesequalinnumbertothenumberofmemberstobeelected. Threememberseachshallbeelectedfromamongthelowlandandhighlandaboriginesinthefreearea. Atotalofthirty-fourmembersshallbeelectedfromthenationwideconstituencyandamongcitizensresidingabroad. Memberstofilltheseatsshallbeelectedfromthelistsofpoliticalpartiesinproportiontothenumberofvoteswonbyeachpartythatobtainsatleast5percentofthetotalvote,andthenumberofelectedfemalemembersoneachparty'slistshallnotbelessthanone-halfofthetotalnumber. ImpeachmentofthepresidentorthevicepresidentbytheLegislativeYuanshallbeinitiatedupontheproposalofmorethanone-halfofthetotalmembersoftheLegislativeYuanandpassedbymorethantwo-thirdsofthetotalmembersoftheLegislativeYuan,whereuponitshallbepresentedtothegrandjusticesoftheJudicialYuanforadjudication. 　 Thefivemainpointsoftheseventhrevisionareasfollows: halvingthenumberofseatsinthelegislature,from225to113; changingthelegislativetermofofficefromthreetofouryears; establishingasingle-constituency,two-ballotsystem; abolishingtheNationalAssemblyandtransferringthepowertovoteonconstitutionalamendmentsfromtheNationalAssemblytothevotersofTaiwan; transferringthepowertoimpeachthepresidentandthevicepresidenttothegrandjustices. 　   More 　 TheRepublicof ChinaYearbook Constitutionofthe RepublicofChina (Taiwan) 　 　 Foundingfather Decorationsofthe RepublicofChina (Taiwan) 　 Government organizations 　 　 Nationalsymbols CodeVer.:F201708221923&F201708221923.cs CodeVer.:201801051632&201801051632.cs