The President of the Executive Yuan (行政院長), colloquially referred to as the Premier (閣揆), is the head of the Executive Yuan or executive branch of the Republic of China government which currently administers Taiwan. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China.

The premier presides over the Executive Yuan Council, which makes up the official cabinet. The vice premier, ministers, and chairpersons of the Executive Yuan are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier. The premier's official duties also include presenting administrative policies and reports to the Legislative Yuan, responding to the interpellations of legislators, and, with the approval of the president, asking the Legislative Yuan to reconsider its resolutions. Laws and decrees promulgated by the President of the Republic must also be countersigned by the premier.

In the event of vacancies in both the presidency and the vice presidency, the premier serves as Acting President of the Republic for up to three months.

One-third of the Legislative Yuan may initiate a no-confidence vote against the premier. If apporoved with simple majority, the premier must resign from office within ten days and at the same time may request that the President dissolve the Legislative Yuan. If the motion fails, another no-confidence motion against the same premier cannot be initiated for one year.

The Constitution of the Republic of China did not originally define strictly the relation between the premier and the president of the Republic and it was not clear whether the government would lean towards a presidential system or parliamentary system when divided. Power shifted to Premier Chiang Ching-kuo after President Chiang Kai-shek's death but shifted to the presidency again when Chiang Ching-kuo became president. Under President Lee Teng-hui, the power of the premier to approve the president's appointments and the power of the Legislative Yuan to confirm the president's choice of premier was removed, clearly establishing the president as the more powerful position of the two.

List of Presidents of the Executive Yuan

• Tan Yankai (10 Oct 1928 - 22 Sep 1930)
• T. V. Soong (22 Sep 1930 - 4 Dec 1930)
• Chiang Kai-shek (4 Dec 1930 - 15 Dec 1931)
• Chen Mingshu (15 Dec 1931 - 28 Dec 1931)
• Sun Fo (28 Dec 1931 - 28 Jan 1932)
• Wang Jingwei (28 Jan 1932 - 7 Dec 1935)
• Chiang Kai-shek (7 Dec 1935 - 1 Jan 1938)
• H. H. Kung (1 Jan 1938 - 20 Nov 1939)
• Chiang Kai-shek (20 Nov 1939 - 31 May 1945)
• T. V. Soong (31 May 1945 - 1 Mar 1947)
• Chiang Kai-shek (1 Mar 1947 - 18 Apr 1947)
• Chang Chun (18 Apr 1947 - 24 May 1948)
• Wong Wen-hao (24 May 1948 - 26 Nov 1948 )
• Sun Fo (26 Nov 1948 - 12 Mar 1949 )
• Ho Ying-chin (12 Mar 1949 - 3 Jun 1949)
• Yen Hsi-shan (3 Jun 1949 - 7 Mar 1950)
• Chen Cheng (7 Mar 1950 - 7 Jun 1954)
• Yü Hung-chün (7 Jun 1954 - 30 Jun 1958)
• Chen Cheng (30 Jun 1958 - 15 Dec 1963)
• Yen Chia-kan (15 Dec 1963 - 29 May 1972)
• Chiang Ching-kuo (29 May 1972 - 30 May 1978)
• Sun Yun-suan (30 May 1978 - 20 May 1984)
• Yu Kuo-hwa (20 May 1984 - 21 May 1989)
• Lee Huan (21 May 1989 - 30 May 1990)
• Hau Pei-tsun (30 May 1990 - 10 Feb 1993)
• Lien Chan (10 Feb 1993 - 1 Sep 1997)
• Vincent Siew (1 Sep 1997 - 20 May 2000)
• Tang Fei (20 May 2000 - 6 Oct 2000)
• Chang Chun-hsiung (6 Oct 2000 - 1 Feb 2002)
• Yu Shyi-kun (1 Feb 2002 - 1 Feb 2005)
• Frank Hsieh (1 Feb 2005 - present)

See also:

• Politics of Taiwan