The results of recall votes yesterday dealt a blow to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) efforts to overturn the opposition-controlled legislature, as all 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers survived the recall bids.
Backed by President William Lai’s (賴清德) DPP, civic groups led the recall drive, seeking to remove 31 out of 39 KMT lawmakers from the 113-seat legislature, in which the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) together hold a majority with 62 seats, while the DPP holds 51 seats.
The scale of the recall elections was unprecedented, with another seven KMT lawmakers facing similar votes on Aug. 23.
Photo: CNA
For a lawmaker to lose their seat, the number of votes in favor of recalling them must exceed those against, and must be more than 25 percent of the total number of registered voters in the electorate.
Recall votes against suspended Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安), formerly a member of the TPP, as well as all 24 KMT lawmakers failed to pass, with most losing by sizeable margins, Central Election Commission (CEC) figures showed.
In Taipei, people lined up in school hallways and temples. Agence France-Presse saw an elderly man arrive at an elementary school in an ambulance, which had brought him from a hospital so he could vote.
Photo: CNA
Public opinion had been divided over the recalls, which have dominated newspaper headlines and social media feeds for months.
“I am not satisfied with their job performance,” retired doctor Jeremy Chen, 54, said, adding that he was “also worried about the pro-China stance of some lawmakers.”
However, a 46-year-old man surnamed Lee said the lawmakers had not “committed any crimes” and that the DPP wanted to control the legislature for “its one-party dominance.”
Source: CEC
“That is not democracy,” Lee said after voting against the recall.
If next month’s recall votes also fail, the outcome would signal that the Lai government could continue to face strong resistance from within the legislature before the next legislative elections, which are expected to take place in 2028.
Political analyst Lev Nachman said that whatever the outcome, political divisions in Taiwan were certain to deepen.
Source: CEC
“The way that the recalls have played out have been perhaps some of the most divisive language used toward both camps that I think I’ve ever seen,” Nachman said.
Over the past few months, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) has compared Lai’s government to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, while Lai, who is the DPP chairman, has spoken of “removing impurities” to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Beijing has loomed large over the recall vote, with Taipei warning of “visible evidence” that China was trying to interfere in the process.
The KMT’s ties with Beijing and frequent visits by its lawmakers to China have raised concerns among critics over Chinese influence on the party.
However, the KMT has rejected accusations that it is beholden to Beijing, and insists that dialogue with China is needed to ensure peace.
Meanwhile, Kao’s survival yesterday means that the DPP would not be able to take hold of the city.
Had the recall succeeded, the Cabinet would have appointed an acting mayor, because Kao has less than half of her four-year term remaining, which would have allowed the central government to take control of the city’s administration.
“Because of you, I feel that I am definitely not alone,” Kao said at a post-vote news conference.
Kao is appealing a sentence of seven years and four months, after she was found guilty of corruption in July last year.
She was suspended as Hsinchu mayor soon after.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
LIMITS: While China increases military pressure on Taiwan and expands its use of cognitive warfare, it is unwilling to target tech supply chains, the report said US and Taiwan military officials have warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could implement a blockade within “a matter of hours” and need only “minimal conversion time” prior to an attack on Taiwan, a report released on Tuesday by the US Senate’s China Economic and Security Review Commission said. “While there is no indication that China is planning an imminent attack, the United States and its allies and partners can no longer assume that a Taiwan contingency is a distant possibility for which they would have ample time to prepare,” it said. The commission made the comments in its annual
RSS