Nantou County Councilor Chen Yu-ling (陳玉鈴) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday survived a recall vote to remove her from office, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said in a news release.
According to the ballot results, 12,160 voters supported the recall, while 5,867 opposed it, for a total of 18,027 valid votes out of 18,171 cast.
Photo: Chen Feng-li, Taipei Times
The CEC said this represented a voter turnout of 31.76 percent of the 57,207 eligible voters.
Although 67.45 percent of valid ballots supported the recall, it failed to pass as the number of favorable votes did not exceed one-quarter of all eligible voters, which is the legal threshold for a recall under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), the CEC said.
The act also stipulates that when a recall is not passed, the same person cannot be recalled for the remainder of his or her term in office, the CEC said.
According to the commission, the recall results would be reviewed and officially announced on Friday.
Nantou County Commissioner Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said the recall received more support than opposition, indicating that many voters want President William Lai (賴清德) and the DPP to reflect on their governance.
She also said the election system needed review, as Chen only needed about 5,000 votes to be elected a councilor, but nearly 15,000 votes were required to recall her.
Meanwhile, Chen thanked her constituents for their support.
In response to the votes supporting her recall, Chen said she would "deeply reflect" on her shortcomings.
Upcoming recall votes include 24 targeting lawmakers from the KMT, as well as one for suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) of the Taiwan People's Party scheduled for July 26.
Additional votes for KMT legislators Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) and Yu Hao (游顥) in Nantou County are set for Aug. 23.
Recall proposals for five other KMT lawmakers — Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒) and Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) — are still under review by the CEC and could be decided as early as Friday.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS