President of the Republic of China

The president of the Republic of China, also known as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (Taiwan), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. Before 1949 the position had the authority of ruling over Mainland China, but losing control of it after communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, the remaining jurisdictions of the ROC have been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and smaller islands.

Originally elected by the National Assembly, the presidency was intended to be a ceremonial office with no real executive power because the ROC was originally envisioned as a parliamentary republic. Since the 1996 election however, the president has been directly elected by plurality voting to a four-year term, with incumbents limited to serving two terms. The current president is Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party, preceded by Tsai Ing-wen from the same party.

The president is currently elected for a term of four years by a plurality voting direct election of areas administered by the Republic of China. Before 1991, the president was selected by the National Assembly of the Republic of China for a term of six years.

The Constitution of the Republic of China names the president as head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces (formerly the National Revolutionary Army). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto, but can approve or decline a veto proposed by the Executive Yuan (Cabinet). Other powers of the president include granting amnesty, pardon or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.

The president may, by resolution of the Executive Yuan Council, issue emergency decrees and take all necessary measures to avert imminent danger affecting the security of the state or of the people or to cope with any serious financial or economic crisis. However, such decrees shall, within ten days of issuance, be presented to the Legislative Yuan for ratification. Should the Legislative Yuan withhold ratification, said emergency decrees are rendered invalid.

The president may, within ten days following passage by the Legislative Yuan of a no-confidence vote against the premier, dissolve the Legislative Yuan after consulting with its president. However, the president may not dissolve the Legislative Yuan while martial law or an emergency decree is in effect. Following a dissolution of the Legislative Yuan, an election for legislators must be held within 60 days.

The president can also appoint senior advisors (資政), national policy advisors (國策顧問) and strategy advisors (戰略顧問), but they do not form a council.

The Constitution does not clearly define whether the president is more powerful than the premier, as it names the Executive Yuan (headed by the premier) as the "highest administrative authority" with oversight over domestic matters, while giving the president powers as commander-in-chief of the military and authority over foreign affairs. Prior to his election as president in 1948, Chiang Kai-shek had insisted that he be premier under the new Constitution, while allowing the presidency (to which he nominated Hu Shih) be reduced to a figurehead role. However, the National Assembly overwhelmingly supported Chiang as president and once in this position, Chiang continued to exercise vast prerogatives as leader, and the premiership served to execute policy, not make it. Thus, until the 1980s, power in the Republic of China was personalized rather than institutionalized, which meant presidential power depended largely on who occupied the office. For example, Yen Chia-kan was a mostly ceremonial president, with real power in the hands of Premier Chiang Ching-Kuo, who carried said power with him to the office of president. After President Lee Teng-hui succeeded Chiang as president in 1988, the power struggle within the KMT extended to constitutional debate over the relationship between the president and the premier. The first three premiers under Lee (Yu Kuo-hwa, Lee Huan, and Hau Pei-tsun) were mainlanders who had initially opposed Lee's ascent to power. The appointments of Lee Huan and Hau were compromises by President Lee to placate KMT conservatives. The subsequent appointment of the first native Taiwanese premier, Lien Chan, was seen as Lee consolidating power. Moreover, during this time the power of the premier to approve the presidential appointments, and the power of the Legislative Yuan to confirm the president's choice of premier, were removed. This established the president as the more powerful official.