An anonymous person has launched a campaign on the Threads social media platform to recall Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安).
Calling on people to take part in the first stage of the recall, which involves collecting signatures, the campaign initiator says Hsu is unfit for the post, listing issues such as an apartment complex fire in the city on May 26, and allegations that she allowed her boyfriend to exert undue influence in city affairs.
Kao has been charged with corruption, with a ruling expected on July 24.
Photo: CNA
Kao ranked second to last among 13 mayors in a policy satisfaction survey conducted by Global Views Monthly this year. The survey excluded mayors from the six special municipalities.
Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) ranked last, and civic groups have launched a recall campaign against him.
The Hsinchu City Government yesterday said that it respects the netizen’s political remarks and each citizen’s free will to express their personal opinion.
A recent media poll found that 60 percent of Hsinchu residents are in favor of Kao’s administration, although that indicates that more effort is needed from Kao’s team to win over the remaining 40 percent, the city government said.
It added that it would pursue tangible policies to improve Hsinchu residents’ welfare.
The Hsinchu Election Commission said it has not yet received a recall proposal from the petitioner.
In the first stage of a recall campaign, a proposal requires signatures from at least 1 percent of the constituency to be approved, while the second stage requires signatures from at least 10 percent of the constituency, the commission said.
The constituency votes in the third stage, and a recall is only passed if the number of valid “yes” ballots outnumbers the number of “no” ballots and makes up more one-fourth of all eligible voters in the electoral district, it said.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
The New Taipei City Art Museum this weekend plans to celebrate its first anniversary with a two-day extravaganza featuring live concerts and a large-scale synchronized fireworks and drone display, the New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department said. The two-day celebrations are to take place in the museum’s outdoor park, with markets and live performances by singers including Ann Bai (白安), Bii (畢書盡) and the Cosmos People (宇宙人), the department said. The highlight on both evenings would be the "Echoes of Light" show, an aerial spectacle combining fireworks and drone performances designed around the concept of "dual stages in the sky," it