Taiwan's Lai faces early pressure from opposition legislative power play

TAIPEI -- Taiwan has been plunged into a political showdown just as its new president settles into office, with the China-leaning opposition attempting to ram through a set of bills that lawyers and critics consider a power grab.

The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and its smaller partner, the Taiwan People's Party, are pushing legislation that would significantly increase their clout and eclipse the government's authority over budgets. The two parties collectively hold a majority in the parliament, known as the Legislative Yuan, and their maneuvers on Friday sparked a physical brawl that sent several lawmakers to the hospital.