A recall vote of Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) in his constituency in Taichung is to be postponed from next month to October, the Central Election Commission said on Friday, citing COVID-19 restrictions.
The vote is to be held on Oct. 23, from 8am to 4pm, the commission said.
The vote would not be held on its originally scheduled date, Aug. 28, because preparations have been “greatly disrupted and delayed” amid the level 3 COVID-19 alert, which is to remain in place until at least July 26, it said.
Setting up polling stations at schools and other venues, as well as the recruitment and training of polling staff, has been affected by school closures and a ban on indoor gatherings of more than four people, it said.
The commission ruled out holding the recall vote on the same day as national referendums, which have also been postponed, from Aug. 28 to Dec. 18.
Holding the recall vote and the referendums on the same day would distract from the recall, the commission said, adding that separate dates would ensure that “the results are consistent with public opinion.”
Holding the recall vote later than Oct. 23 would also risk undermining voters’ rights, it said.
In response to the announcement, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) called the commission’s reasoning “nonsensical.”
By separating the dates, the commission is trying to discourage people from voting in the recall, the KMT said in a statement.
Attention on the recall vote would be diminished if it is not held on the same day as the nationwide referendums, it said.
Meanwhile, Chen said in a Facebook livestream that he does not have a problem with the postponement, adding that people should cast their ballot on polling day.
The 35-year-old first-time lawmaker last year won his legislative seat narrowly against then-incumbent KMT lawmaker Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恆).
Yang Wen-yuan (楊文元), who initiated the recall campaign, said that Chen had been neglecting his constituency, behaving outrageously in the legislature and on social media, and had supported the government’s decision to lift a ban on the importation of pork containing residue of the feed additive ractopamine.
With the recall vote now set for a later date, the commission is expected to announce the number of eligible voters by Oct. 19.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern
RSS