A second wave of recall petitions against 12 more Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators were yesterday submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC), bringing the total to 31.
Those in yesterday’s submission included Taipei KMT legislators Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) and Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), as well as New Taipei City KMT legislators Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷), Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), Liao Hsien-hsiang (廖先翔), Chang Chih-lun (張智倫) and Lin Te-fu (林德福).
“This is our final stand in the battle to defend Taiwan’s democracy. If we fail, then Taiwan would be swallowed up by China,” United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) said at a news conference outside the CEC in Taipei.
Photo: CNA
Tsao, spokesman for the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Volunteers Alliance, is heading the recall movement.
This “big nationwide recall movement” is not about hatred against some legislators nor about helping the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to take back a majority in the legislature, he said.
“It is because people can see clearly KMT and Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers are taking instructions from KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁), who takes orders from Chinese government leaders in Beijing,” Tsao said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
The campaigners said that they had also garnered sufficient signatures in other constituencies and are planning to submit more petitions to the CEC later this week.
Meanwhile, the KMT has begun to retaliate, gathering recall signatures as it targets DPP legislators.
CEC officials said as of yesterday the CEC had received motions to recall 13 DPP lawmakers, including Taipei DPP legislators Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶), as well as New Taipei City DPP legislators Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) and Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), and Taichung DPP legislators Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) and Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純).
The other DPP legislators facing recall votes are Huang Jie (黃捷) and Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) of Kaohsiung, Yilan Couty’s Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇), and the two representing indigenous people, Chen Ying (陳瑩) and Saidhai Tahovecahe.
Separately, Hualien County Councilor Hu Jen-shun (胡仁順) of the DPP said he had requested an investigation and provided evidence to the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation about the alleged harassment of people who signed the petition to recall Fu by officials from the Hualien County Government.
The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that it was investigating alleged visits to the home addresses of residents who signed the petition to recall Fu by officials from the Hualien County Household Registration Office.
Hu said that the Hualien County Government should not have access to the personal information of people participating in a recall effort as it is a contravention of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法).
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS