The Central Election Commission yesterday announced that a recall election is to be held for New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌).
Stability Power Alliance, a group opposed to gay marriage, mobilized for a petition drive to recall Huang, accusing him of neglect of his legislative duties.
The committee said the petition for his recall was signed by 31,922 of the 251,191 eligible voters in New Taipei City’s No. 12 electoral district.
As 26,745 of the signatures were valid, the petition passed the threshold of 25,120 signatures needed to proceed with the recall, the committee said.
The recall election is to be held on Dec. 16, the committee said, adding that it would be the first recall since the threshold was lowered through an amendment to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) in November last year.
Huang said that the recall poll would not just be a vote of confidence in him, but represent shared public belief in reform ideas.
“I cordially invite all of my friends to once again come forward and show the force and determination of your shared promotion of reforms,” Huang said, adding that his performance as a politician spoke for itself.
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said that he would seek his party’s nomination next year as the candidate in the Taichung mayoral election.
Chiang is the second KMT lawmaker to make a bid for the Taichung race, after KMT Legislator Lu Hsiu-yen’s (盧秀燕) announcement last week.
Chiang said his main goal is to create “a blessed new Taichung” for its residents.
KMT headquarters said that the two hopefuls would have to decide between themselves who should stand as the candidate or allow party members to vote on the issue.
In other election news, KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said he had not ruled out seeking the party’s nomination next year for the Taipei mayoral election, but added the KMT should choose former premier Simon Chang (張善政) as its Taipei candidate should he announce his willingness to run.
Chiang Wan-an made the remarks in a radio interview when he was asked if he was interested in running in next year’s Taipei mayoral election.
Chiang Wan-an said he has received mixed opinions on the matter in talks with his constituents, with some people saying that he is inexperienced and trying to dissuade him from campaigning.
Chang is “clear-headed and visionary,” Chiang Wan-an said of his potential opponent.
“Several polls have indicated that he could beat Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲),” the lawmaker said, adding that Chang, an independent, has a large support base among pan-green and pan-blue supporters.
Additional reporting by CNA
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