Taipei: The main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), announced on Saturday its intention to introduce a legislative motion to recall President Lai Ching-te after May 20, marking the first anniversary of Lai’s inauguration. This announcement was made at a large rally in Taipei, which the KMT claims was attended by 250,000 supporters.

According to Focus Taiwan, KMT Chairman Eric Chu criticized President Lai for allegedly focusing on suppressing opposition parties rather than good governance since assuming office. Chu accused Lai of orchestrating a “Cultural Revolution” in Taiwan aimed at eradicating dissent. He further stated that if President Lai does not change his approach, a nationwide recall effort would commence on May 20.

Chu emphasized that the KMT, together with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), plans to push for a recall motion in the Legislature following May 20. Despite acknowledging that the KMT and TPP do not have enough votes to pass the motion independently, Chu expressed confidence in mobilizing public support across Taiwan to achieve this goal.

The process for a recall motion against the president, as outlined by the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, requires the support of one-fourth of all legislators and a two-thirds majority approval in the Legislature before it can proceed to a public vote. Currently, the opposition controls 62 of the 113 seats in the Legislature, leaving them 14 votes short of the necessary majority.

The rally, organized on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building, was titled “Fight Green Communism, Resist Dictatorship.” It featured speeches from KMT and TPP leaders, including Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu and TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, who criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by Lai.

Speakers at the rally condemned the recall campaigns targeting KMT lawmakers, arguing that they undermined democratic principles. Han Kuo-yu highlighted the importance of opposition parties in maintaining democratic checks and balances, accusing the DPP of damaging Taiwan’s democratic image.

In response, President Lai addressed the media in Keelung, asserting that Taiwan remains a democratic society with freedoms of assembly and speech. He urged the opposition to focus on Taiwan’s real issues and resist the authoritarian regime in Beijing instead of targeting his administration.

President Lai reiterated the threat of Chinese annexation and called for unity across Taiwan’s political spectrum to resist Chinese influence and uphold Taiwan’s sovereignty. He also defended the legal actions taken against fraudulent signature collection for recall campaigns, emphasizing the need for accountability regardless of political affiliation.