Volunteers from youth activist group Democracy Tautin yesterday pledged allegiance to the Appendectomy Project, vowing to aid in the organization’s efforts to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元).
The group announced that it would aid in ballot monitoring during the recall referendum scheduled for Feb. 14.
They expressed their desire to inherit the spirit of scores of volunteers who assisted then-Tapei mayoral candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in ballot monitoring efforts during the nine-in-one elections in November last year.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Dozens of volunteers who signed up to monitor vote-counting during the referendum gathered in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) to attend a swearing-in ceremony.
Chinese Cultural University professor Yao Li-ming (姚立明), who served as Ko’s campaign director during the election, said that grassroots and civic group involvement in the recall campaign indicated a “mature democracy” in Taiwan.
An effective recall motion would remind politicians to place more importance on the will of the people, he added.
Appendectomy Project spokesperson Mr Lin From Taipei (台北林先生) said that ballot monitoring is a way for volunteers who are not registered as voters in Tsai’s constituency — Neihu and Nangang (南港) districts — to participate in the campaign.
To recall Tsai in the upcoming referendum, more than half the ballots cast must be in favor of the motion.
A 50 percent turnout is also required for the referendum to be declared valid.
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