Taiwan's opposition-controlled legislature blocked President Lai Ching-te's entire slate of watchdog nominees, a setback for the government and a sign of deepening gridlock.

• All 27 nominees to the Control Yuan, including its would-be president Chen Yung-hsing and deputy Wang Jung-chang, failed to win a majority in Monday's recorded vote.
• The opposition KMT and TPP voted against every name, leaving Taiwan's constitutional watchdog body without leadership.
• The KMT says the rejection reflects public anger that the Control Yuan costs a lot of money but rarely investigates real problems.
• The KMT also argues several nominees were too close to the ruling DPP to act independently, and says Lai should propose new names rather than blame the legislature.
• Pressure is now building for a broader rewrite of how Taiwan's watchdog body works, or whether it should exist at all.

Outlook: Lai will need to submit a fresh slate, and the standoff points toward a longer fight over reforming or scrapping the Control Yuan.