A coalition of small political parties yesterday called on the public to vote in today’s recall election against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, urging people to cast a “Yes” ballot.
Recall votes for 24 KMT lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are set to take place today, while recall elections for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23.
At a news conference in Taipei, representatives from parties including the New Power Party (NPP), the Green Party Taiwan and the Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party rallied under slogans such as “Recall vote is for love,” “Clean up our legislature, Taiwan needs a reboot” and “Vote to remove those colluding with an enemy state.”
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party
The event was convened by the World United Formosans for Independence.
“This recall is the largest citizen movement in Taiwan’s history, and makes a strong declaration for people to identify with the Taiwanese nation,” Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsin-huan (王興煥) said. “The people will remove these lawmakers to end the political turmoil caused by opposition parties.”
“The recall vote is the only way for citizens to end the political paralysis and reorganize the legislature so that it can function properly,” NPP Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) said.
She also said that the NPP represents Taiwan’s true “third force,” adding that the Taiwan People’s Party has shifted to align with the blue camp.
Separately, a group of civic organizations urged people not to leave after casting their ballots in today’s recall vote, but to stay and join the “citizen special forces team” to oversee the tallying of paper ballots.
“Let’s stay on to observe the counting process, ensuring transparency, fairness and preventing ballot fraud,” said a joint statement from groups including the Taiwan Society, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, the Koo Kwang-ming Foundation, the Union of Taiwan Teachers and Taiwan North Society.
“It is particularly necessary in rural areas and regions with smaller populations, such as Hualien, Taitung, Yunlin and Nantou counties, where citizen groups struggle to recruit enough people to act as observers and monitor the process,” the release said.
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