Taiwan's top two branches are in open conflict over the cabinet's refusal to countersign laws passed by the legislature, a fight that deepens the island's political gridlock.

• Legislature speaker Han Kuo-yu warned that repeatedly refusing to sign or carry out laws shakes the constitutional order, saying no governing power outranks the constitution.
• Premier Cho Jung-tai fired back that the legislature Han leads is the one breaking the rules, and asked whether it has obeyed the constitution and the law.
• Cho said the cabinet writes the budget and the legislature only reviews it, and that court rulings bar lawmakers from using budget cuts to block other branches from doing their jobs.
• He argued the premier has both the power and the duty to withhold his signature from laws that hurt national security, wreck financial discipline, or skip proper democratic process.
• Cho insisted the cabinet is only reacting, calling both the earlier veto request and the refusal to sign forced moves rather than choices.

Outlook: With neither side backing down, more bills are likely to stall and the dispute could end up before Taiwan's constitutional court.