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.
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