A fight over Taiwan's constitution has turned into a fight over the premier's paycheck, with both sides now boxed in.

• Premier Cho Jung-tai said he would refuse to countersign any law he sees as unconstitutional, even with "a knife to his neck."
• Opposition parties call that a distortion of the countersignature power, using it as a tool to block laws parliament has already passed.
• The KMT and TPP froze Cho's salary for September through December and will only release it if he signs the bills.
• The ruling DPP calls that bribery in reverse — dangling money to force the premier's hand — and says no one treats the premier as a rubber stamp.
• The DPP points to a way out: the opposition can file a no-confidence vote, which would let the president dissolve parliament and send the fight to voters.

Outlook: Neither side looks ready to move, so the standoff over signing laws and unfreezing the premier's pay is likely to drag on.