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Premier of the Republic of China Wikipedia

The President of the Executive Yuan (行政院長), colloquially referred to as the Premier (閣揆), is the head of the Executive Yuan or executive branch of the Republic of China government which currently administers Taiwan. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China.

The premier presides over the Executive Yuan Council, which makes up the official cabinet. The vice premier, ministers, and chairpersons of the Executive Yuan are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier. The premier's official duties also include presenting administrative policies and reports to the Legislative Yuan, responding to the interpellations of legislators, and, with the approval of the president, asking the Legislative Yuan to reconsider its resolutions. Laws and decrees promulgated by the President of the Republic must also be countersigned by the premier.

In the event of vacancies in both the presidency and the vice presidency, the premier serves as Acting President of the Republic for up to three months.

One-third of the Legislative Yuan may initiate a no-confidence vote against the premier. If apporoved with simple majority, the premier must resign from office within ten days and at the same time may request that the President dissolve the Legislative Yuan. If the motion fails, another no-confidence motion against the same premier cannot be initiated for one year.

The Constitution of the Republic of China did not originally define strictly the relation between the premier and the president of the Republic and it was not clear whether the government would lean towards a presidential system or parliamentary system when divided. Power shifted to Premier Chiang Ching-kuo after President Chiang Kai-shek's death but shifted to the presidency again when Chiang Ching-kuo became president. Under President Lee Teng-hui, the power of the premier to approve the president's appointments and the power of the Legislative Yuan to confirm the president's choice of premier was removed, clearly establishing the president as the more powerful position of the two.

Last Modified:   2005-04-13