Kinmen County Council Speaker Hung Yun-tien (洪允典) today survived an attempted recall after the county council failed to secure a quorum to vote.
The Kinmen County Council was scheduled to hold a recall vote for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) speaker at 9:30am.
Of the 19 councilors, eight were present and only six signed in, short of the 10 required to hold a vote.
Photo: Taipei Times
As the quorum was not reached, Kinmen County Council Deputy Speaker Ou Yang Yi-hsiung (歐陽儀雄) adjourned the meeting.
Under Article 46 of the Local Government Act (地方制度法), a recall review must be attended by greater than half the total number of councilors, and is only effective when approved by at least two-thirds of those present.
Hung cannot face another recall within his term of office, as per the act.
This is the first time since the act was enacted in 1999 that a municipal council has attempted to recall a speaker.
Recall initiator Chou Tzu-chieh (周子傑), a Kinmen county councilor also with the KMT, and his seven allies arrived before the scheduled vote, while the speaker’s supporters gathered in a nearby break room to “stand by.”
Chou told reporters afterward that he respects the councilors’ decision.
“Everything happens for a reason. Unfortunately, fewer than half were present,” he said.
Hung and Chou competed for the speakership in 2022, each receiving nine votes. Hung ended up winning the position after drawing lots.
Hung has this year been facing accusations of using official supplies for personal use, cutting off council broadcasts and interfering with personnel decisions at the Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor distillery.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS