A fight over whether Taiwan's premier can refuse to sign laws passed by the opposition-controlled legislature has turned into a public trading of insults, a bad sign for an already gridlocked government.

• KMT lawmaker Yeh Yuan-chih accused Premier Cho Jung-tai of abusing power by refusing to countersign an amendment passed by the legislature.
• Lawyer Huang Di-ying hit back by pointing to two labor-law fines the Taipei city government issued against Yeh, saying he is in no position to lecture on law.
• Huang argues the premier has a constitutional duty to block laws he sees as unconstitutional, and that the opposition's refusal to call a no-confidence vote proves his point.
• The KMT and TPP hold a legislative majority and could remove the premier at any time, but a no-confidence vote would risk dissolving parliament and forcing new elections.

Outlook: Expect the standoff to keep escalating in public rather than in a formal no-confidence vote, leaving Taiwan's legislative deadlock unresolved.