Hualien County: The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang announced the party’s full support for civil groups involved in recall votes against 24 lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and suspended Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao, formerly of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The recall votes are scheduled for late July.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lin made his statement during a visit to Hualien County, a region known for its support of the KMT in eastern Taiwan. He commended the residents for collecting 28,139 valid signatures, surpassing the 19,377 required to initiate a recall vote against Fu Kun-chi, despite facing numerous challenges.
Lin stated that the recall process is a fundamental right reflecting the public’s will and emphasized the DPP’s commitment to providing resources to support civic initiatives. This announcement follows the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) release of the recall vote list on July 26. The DPP is aiming to reshape the parliamentary landscape to secure a majority government.
Currently, the ruling party holds 51 seats in the Legislature, while the KMT holds 52. The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has secured eight seats, and two seats are independently held but closely align with the KMT.
Besides Fu, who is the KMT’s caucus whip, other significant figures facing recall include Taipei lawmakers Wang Hung-wei, Hsu Chiao-hsin, Lee Yen-hsiu, Lo Chih-chiang, and Lai Shyh-bao.
In response to the DPP-backed recall efforts, KMT Chairman Eric Chu announced a “regional joint defense” strategy to mobilize support for its lawmakers. This strategy includes enhancing coordination among pan-blue local governments to counter the recalls. Chu discussed this plan during an anti-recall event in Taipei on Saturday morning.
Additionally, on Friday evening, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang urged the public to vote against the recalls on July 26. He argued that the recall votes would reject political strife and serve as a vote of no confidence in President Lai Ching-te, who chairs the DPP.