A great wave of recalls is approaching, a grassroots movement initiated by progressive citizens that is both fierce and unstoppable. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators’ destructive constitutional revisions and disruptive politics have plunged Taiwan into its most severe democratic and national security crisis. It is all happening before the public’s eyes.
First, the Constitutional Court would be frozen. The court is the last line of defense for the nation’s democratic system, and the final mechanism for protecting the public’s rights and determining the constitutionality of legislation. If it is effectively frozen, our democracy’s last line of defense would be dismantled, giving KMT and TPP legislators free rein to do as they please. Taiwan’s democratic system would collapse as a result, marking the beginning of a parliamentary dictatorship.
Second, the public’s right to recall would be impaired. The right to recall is the public’s weapon of last resort to supervise and balance the power of elected representatives. The amendments to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) passed by the KMT and TPP coalition would effectively strip the public’s right to recall. This is blatant bullying of the public by the legislature.
Next, the KMT and TPP’s amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) would shift the nation’s funds from the central government to local governments to achieve the goal of binding local grassroots campaign movements and strengthening local forces, accelerating rampant corruption and collusion within Taiwan’s local politics.
Figures such as KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) from Hualien County and former Yunlin County commissioner Chang Jung-wei (張榮味) are perfect examples of this. Once they have implemented large-scale government budget cuts and freezes to paralyze President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration, they would use the increased power of local governments to besiege the central government, with the ultimate goal of seizing total control.
The KMT and the TPP’s expansion of powers and disruptive politics would hollow out other branches of government, allowing the legislature to reign supreme. They even seek to amend laws to weaken the legal powers of the president. This is a distorted coup that aims to use democracy to destroy democracy.
Finally, freezing and cutting portions of the national defense budget would send the wrong message to the US and China. It would lead Washington to believe Taiwan is no longer committed to self-defense, providing Beijing with an opportunity to take advantage of us and put our national security in the most dangerous possible situation. In their pursuit of power, KMT and TPP legislators are completely disregarding national security.
How much longer will this be tolerated?
French jurist Rene Cassin — an advocate for liberty and human rights, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — once said that when you feel enraged about something, just as he was enraged by the Nazis, you must become a strong warrior and dedicate yourself to the torrents of history. Through our participation, the great historical current would move further toward the direction of freedom and justice, he said.
If, like me, you find yourself enraged by the KMT and TPP legislators’ disruptive politics, please have the courage to stand up. We must not simply watch from the sidelines as Taiwan faces this unprecedented democratic and national security crisis. We must take a step forward, join the mass recall movement, fight for our values and beliefs, and protect Taiwan.
This moment calls for the courage to defend the value of freedom, for the passion to protect our democratic Taiwan, for the anger to fight back against injustices and for resistance from progressive citizens.
Please stand up. Support the front lines of the recall movement with your actions, becoming their strongest backing. To the Democratic Progressive Party, national civil groups and friendly businesses — please join the second stage of recall petitions and support the mass recall movement.
Action leads to change. This mass recall wave is unstoppable — it is a powerful wave of democracy. We must ride the wind and the waves, marching forward with our heads held high. Let us use our greatest power to safeguard democracy and protect Taiwan.
Michelle Wang is deputy secretary-general of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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