Taipei: An impeachment motion against Taiwanese leader William Lai failed on Tuesday, marking the first presidential impeachment vote in the island's constitutional history, local media reported. The motion did not secure the required two-thirds majority in the 113-seat Legislative Yuan, with 56 lawmakers voting in favor and 50 against. Seven lawmakers did not collect ballots.

According to Anadolu Agency, the impeachment proceedings were initiated by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party. This action came after Premier Cho Jung-tai refused to countersign opposition-backed amendments related to government revenue allocation laws. The opposition parties utilized their combined parliamentary majority to initiate the impeachment process in December last year.

The vote occurred just a day before Lai's second anniversary in office. Under Taiwan's constitutional rules, the impeachment of a president necessitates approval from at least 76 lawmakers before being referred to the Constitutional Court for further review.