Taiwan Recall Campaign Fails, Signaling Setback for Ruling Party

A recall campaign targeting 24 legislators from Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) party concluded on Saturday without success. The local election authority confirmed that none of the recall proposals garnered more votes in favor than against.

Voting took place across Taiwan from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. As the ballots were tallied, the "no" votes consistently surpassed the "yes" votes in all 24 recall cases. This outcome represented a significant victory for the KMT in the initial phase of the large-scale recall campaign. A recall vote aimed at the suspended mayor of Hsinchu was also held on the same day, and it too failed to pass.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) currently holds 51 seats in the island's 113-seat legislature, making them a minority party. Observers suggested that while the recall campaign appeared to originate from "civil groups," it was actually orchestrated by the DPP authorities, led by Lai Ching-te. The perceived goal was to overcome their legislative disadvantage through recalls and subsequent by-elections.

Hsieh Chih-chuan, a current affairs commentator in Taiwan, stated that the decisive rejection in the voting reflected public dissatisfaction with Lai and the DPP authorities. He added that since taking office, the Lai administration has suppressed dissenting opinions through legal and other methods, while simultaneously escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Hsieh further commented that the vote's outcome demonstrated the latest public sentiment in Taiwan, which is a clear rejection of the DPP's efforts to pursue "Taiwan independence." He characterized the result as a "total failure" for the party.

Wang Kun-Yih, president of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, stated that the results indicated that peaceful cross-Strait relations represent the prevailing will of the people in Taiwan. He warned that the DPP risks losing public support if it does not alter its cross-Strait policy.

A second round of recall votes, targeting an additional seven KMT legislators, is scheduled for August 23.

According to local election regulations, a recall vote will be successful if the number of valid votes in favor exceeds the number of votes against. Additionally, the number of votes in agreement must equal at least a quarter of the total number of eligible voters within the electoral district.