A fight over Taiwan's premier refusing to sign off on opposition-passed laws has turned into a broader argument about what the constitution actually says — bad news for both parties, who are accused of ignoring it.

• Premier Cho Jung-tai has refused to countersign eight laws passed by the opposition-controlled legislature, including finance and party-asset bills.
• The opposition KMT and TPP say he is twisting the countersignature power to shield the president from checks.
• Constitutional law professor Su Yeong-chin says both sides misread the text: the same constitution that defines the countersignature power also defines Taiwan's relationship with China.
• He points to the amended articles that split the territory into a "free area" and a "mainland area" until unification, and allow parties that split the republic to be dissolved.
• He also faults the original design of direct presidential elections for producing minority governments, saying a two-round vote and an independent guardian of the constitution should have been built in.

Outlook: The standoff over unsigned laws is likely to keep escalating, with no neutral body in place to settle who is right.