Advocates on both sides of the recall campaign yesterday canvassed the streets in a final push before tomorrow’s vote.
Seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers are facing recall votes tomorrow in their constituencies in New Taipei City, Taichung, and Hsinchu and Nantou counties.
A referendum is also to be held on whether to restart the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County.
Photo: CNA
Local activists looking to oust KMT Legislator Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才) from New Taipei City carried out motorcade runs throughout the day, as volunteers from other districts joined them to organize events in past weeks, a recall group spokeswoman named Chi Chi (琪琪) said.
Apart from Lo, other KMT members targeted in the recall vote are Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) of Hsinchu County; Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) of Taichung; and Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) and Yu Hao (游顥) of Nantou County.
Chi Chi said it is gratifying to have many people from other districts come to help out, after their hard work in the first round of recalls on July 26 ended in failure.
“But we did not quit, and reinvigorated our endeavors to pool resources together to campaign with stronger determination,” she said.
The street canvassing took much planning to make it through New Taipei City’s 11th constituency, which includes urban Sindian District (新店), as well as the rural districts of Shenkeng (深坑), Pinglin (坪林), Shiding (石碇) and Wulai (烏來), she said.
Volunteers held signs and spoke to people at traditional markets and outside MRT stations, along with motorcades, street marches and other events for these final few days, Chi Chi said.
Her groups assisted other recall activists around the country, she said, adding that efforts were under way for final rallies tonight in their respective constituencies.
Meanwhile, Lin, who is facing a recall in Hsinchu County, was accused of handing out gifts to residents in exchange for votes at a recent meeting.
Hsinchu County Councilor Ouyang Ting (歐陽霆) at a news conference yesterday showed photographs of people leaving a meeting organized by Lin in which men were seen carrying two wrapped loaves of sliced bread and three large packets of tissue paper.
Ouyang and other councilors alleged the gifts are a form of vote-buying, which Lin rejected.
In Nantou County, KMT Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) led a motorcade through Jhushan (竹山) and Puli (埔里) townships in support of Ma and Yu.
“We must stop these mass recalls against our party. They targeted 24 KMT lawmakers last month, and now they are trying to recall seven more. If they succeed, then the legislature will have only one party dominating,” Han said.
Former DPP legislator Tsai Pei-hui (蔡培慧), a Nantou County resident, called on local people to cast a “yes” vote.
“For many years, we have seen few changes and no progress in our county. Even many people say it is in decline,” Tsai said. “Nantou County people are mainly engaged in farming, and rely on tourism and hospitality, but we see Ma and Yu have done nothing for Nantou residents.”
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