Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would remain in office after a majority of voters yesterday voted against recalling him.
Keelung City Election Commission figures showed that 86,014 people (55.15 percent of valid votes) voted to keep Hsieh in office, while 69,934 (44.85 percent) voted in favor of recalling him.
The number of ballots cast in favor of Hsieh’s recall did not meet the required 25 percent threshold of 77,700 ballots.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Hsieh cannot face another recall vote for the remainder of his term in office.
The results showed a voter turnout of 50.44 percent of 310,797 eligible voters. The final results are pending certification by the Central Election Commission.
In all seven districts, the number of votes in favor of recalling Hsieh was lower than the number of ballots rejecting the recall.
Campaigners initiated the vote in March due to what they said were unfulfilled election promises by Hsieh and a dispute over a change in the operator of the Keelung E-Square Mall (基隆東岸商場).
Hsieh, 49, has received significant support from high-ranking KMT members, with former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) appearing with Hsieh at rallies in the run-up to the recall vote.
Hsieh, who was a legislator from 2005 to 2016, assumed office as mayor on Dec. 25, 2022.
The recall vote was the first of a leader of a city or county since then-Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) lost a recall vote in 2020.
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