The mass recall movement marks a significant milestone in Taiwan’s history. The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Friday last week announced the results of its review into petitions to recall 24 lawmakers and one mayor, scheduling the vote for July 26.
The practice of using recall elections to oust politicians can be traced back more than 2,000 years to ancient Athens. The recall election serves as a mechanism to remove undesirable individuals, or those who violate societal rules and threaten civil order. The early form of recall election, inscribing the names of politicians on ostraca — the plural of ostracon, pottery sherds on which citizens inscribed names to vote for exile — as ballots, was meant to prevent politicians from abusing elected office.
The democratic practice of ostracism, which originated from the use of these ostraca, is a valuable export of Athenian democracy. Citizens would inscribe critical labels, such as “betrayer,” “traitor,” “slanderer,” or “main instigator” onto the ostraca. The sherds could also serve as historical records, avoiding the possibility of later revisionism by politicians. In Athenian democracy, citizens established various supervisory mechanisms to make sure the recall worked free from interference.
We call on the county and city local election commissions affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) not to act as turncoats of Taiwan. The local commissions should respect the rules set by the CEC, avoiding any deliberate, politically motivated violations of the law.
The actions of certain lawmakers have triggered an unprecedented feeling of unease among Taiwanese. Like the Athenians in ancient times, Taiwanese have initiated an ostracism-like election on the “turncoats” who might play a pivotal role in shaping the future of society. This recall election was launched by Taiwanese wanting to “ostracize” KMT and Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers for threatening constitutional violations and passing pro-China legislation.
However, the issue goes beyond the question of whether those lawmakers should be recalled: What truly matters is whether Taiwanese can continue to live in Taiwan as a home with peace and prosperity, for ourselves and generations to come.
We should all thank the civil groups involved, which have set a remarkable recall record in Taiwan’s political history, leaving an inspiring chapter.
Wong Chong-Gyiau is a former director of Tainan Theological College and Seminary.
Translated by Lai Wen-chieh
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