Just curious: If Chen and Lu had been killed, who would be president now? Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng? Premier Yu Shyi-kun? The head of one of the other Yuans?
I was wondering the same thing.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng
Articles 49 and 51 of the constitution thingy:
In case the office of the President should become vacant, the Vice President shall succeed until the expiration of the original presidential term. In case the office of both the President and the Vice President should become vacant, the President of the Executive Yuan shall act for the President; and, in accordance with the provisions of Article 30 of this Constitution, an extraordinary session of the National Assembly shall be convoked for the election of a new President and a new Vice President, who shall hold office until the completion of the term left unfinished by the preceding President. In case the President should be unable to attend to office due to any cause, the Vice President shall act for the President. In case both the President and the Vice President should be unable to attend to office, the President of the Executive Yuan shall act for the President.
The period during which the President of the Executive Yuan may act for the President shall not exceed three months.
It makes sense for it to be the Premier who takes over, because he or she is the head of government appointed by the President as head of state. Power should not fall into the hands of the leader of the legislature in such circumstances, because he or she may be (and currently is) a member of an opposition party.