Recall drives have begun nationwide amid political turmoil in the legislature, with activists setting their sights on 35 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and four Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.
Civil groups on Thursday said they were confident in their efforts to recall KMT legislators, after business tycoon Robert Tsao (曹興誠) set up a nationwide network the day before to gather volunteers and provide material aid.
The United Microelectronics Corp founder, together with civil society groups, on Wednesday launched the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Volunteers League.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
The Taiwan Statebuilding Party also held a news conference in Taipei on Thursday to announce its own recall movement against KMT legislators.
There are efforts to recall KMT legislators in 35 constituencies across Taiwan, including five in Taipei, six in New Taipei City, six in Taoyuan and six in Taichung.
Grassroots groups have also initiated drives targeting notable KMT members seen as spearheading political turmoil in the legislature, including KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) of Hualien, Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) of Kinmen and Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) of Nantou, said a spokeswoman for the recall movement in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), who goes by the name Mollie (茉莉).
Meanwhile, members of the KMT’s youth wing said they would fight back by organizing drives against four DPP legislators: Caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) from Taipei, and legislators Huang Jie (黃捷) and Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) from Kaohsiung.
Huang and Wu Pei-yi are the first two openly LGBTQ+ members of Taiwan’s legislature.
Tsao, addressing the volunteer league launch event on Wednesday, said the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) were stoking political turmoil and “dismantling our democracy” by slashing large portions of the national budget.
“Deliberate actions by the KMT and TPP to sabotage government operations and undermine the stability of Taiwanese society have led to much public anger and anxiety, and people cannot take it anymore,” he said.
“We are now witnessing political turmoil in the Legislative Yuan, which Beijing is watching with glee,” Tsao added.
He called for wide public support in gathering signatures, the first step to recalling an elected official under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法).
According to the act, a petition must collect signatures from no less than 1 percent of the total number of voters in the electoral district where the official was elected to initiate a recall.
At Thursday’s event, Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) criticized opposition parties for slashing the budget, while urging support for the recall drives.
“If the KMT and TPP want people to kneel and beg them for mercy, then all us citizens shall stand up to regain our pride and dignity,” he said.
“Citizens and civil groups must forge strong networks to fight together to achieve the aim of kicking out these pro-China enemy forces out of Taiwan’s legislature,” he added.
Opposition lawmakers on Dec. 20 last year passed amendments to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act requiring petition signatories to submit a copy of their ID and stipulating up to five years in prison or a fine of NT$1 million (US$30,598) for using another’s identity.
At present, campaigners only have to present the ID numbers and registered addresses of signatories.
Although it passed the third reading last month, the legislature only yesterday sent the bill to the president.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) after an extraordinary meeting to consider the bill said the Cabinet had decided to send it back to the legislature for a revote, pending approval from the president.
He also expressed dismay at the legislature sending the proposal at 4:47pm the day before the Lunar New Year holiday begins, calling it “naked political calculation.”
Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution, the Cabinet has 10 days after receipt of a bill to return it for reconsideration. Once it is returned, the Legislative Yuan has 15 days to hold a revote.
If the legislature is in recess, it must reconvene within seven days and reach a resolution within 15 days after the session begins.
Additional reporting by Liu Wan-lin
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