A petition to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Tsai Chin-lung (蔡錦隆) managed to garner the support of 2 percent of eligible voters in his constituency — Greater Taichung’s Nantun (南屯) and Shitun (西屯) districts — and received approval from the Central Election Commission on Monday.
The news brings Total Recall — a campaign to recall inept legislators in Greater Taichung — one step closer to launching a recall referendum with the goal of ousting Tsai.
The petition’s success followed on the heels of a landmark achievement by the Appendectomy Project — a similar campaign in Taipei with the goal of recalling KMT Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) — which launched its official Recall Headquarters in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) on Sunday.
Total Recall organizers said that Tsai Chin-lung had failed the public through his track record of backing unpopular policies, including his support for nuclear energy, his endorsement of importing agricultural products from China, and his opposition to raising the minimum wage.
To initiate a referendum on Tsai’s fate, Total Recall requires the support of 13 percent of eligible voters — or nearly 40,000 signatories — for the second phase of the petition, from Saturday to Feb. 16.
Given that the petition’s second phase is more challenging with its high threshold and 30-day limit, the campaign has ramped up recruitment efforts for volunteers among Taichung residents, a member of Total Recall surnamed Chen said.
An Appendectomy Project spokesperson known as Mr Lin from Taipei (台北林先生) said that the project would share their experiences in Taipei with their fellow activists in Taichung.
Additional reporting by Su Fang-ho
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