Who are the key players in Taiwan's ‘great recall' vote?
Voters are queuing up in schools, temples, and community centres to cast their ballots on whether to oust about one-fifth of their lawmakers, all from the opposition Nationalist Party, in what is being called the 'Great Recall Movement' that could reshape the power balance in the island.
If more than six lawmakers are recalled, it could shift the balance of power in the parliament in favour of Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te, who wants Taiwan to forge a future separate from China, against an opposition largely seen as favouring close ties with Beijing.
The poll sees close competition between Taiwan's major political parties, the DPP, the KMT, and their allies.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
Taiwan's independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won last year's presidential election for an unprecedented third term over a platform that strongly rejected China's territorial claims over Taiwan. The party came to power by winning 40 per cent of the votes, even though its share of the vote had decreased compared to the previous election.
Soon after coming to power, Mr Lai, 64, a former doctor who had served as vice-president to Tsai Ing-wen since 2020, said Taiwan would 'continue to walk side by side with democracies around the world'.
The DPP-led government has tried to highlight the 'Taiwan identity' as something unique and different from that of China. However, many Taiwanese citizens have expressed concern that this approach could continue to put the island under threat from Beijing, which has upped its military exercises around Taiwan in recent years.
Although the DPP won the presidential elections, it was a coalition led by the China-friendly Nationalists, or Kuomintang (KMT), that got enough seats to form a majority bloc in the island's parliament.
The KMT has been accused by the ruling party of blocking key legislation, especially the defence budget, and of passing legislative changes favouring China, which considers Taiwan a part of its own territory.
It has succeeded in passing three controversial bills and budget cuts to the 2025 national budget, which together were seen as strengthening the powers of parliament at the cost of the executive.
All the lawmakers currently facing recall belong to the KMT, the largest party in the legislature with 52 seats.
With the election commission scheduling recall polls for seven more KMT legislators on 23 August, nearly one-third of all legislative constituencies face the vote, mostly concentrated in the north and urban regions.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP)
The TPP is a smaller party and a relative newcomer in the race, gathering strong support among young people disillusioned by the ruling and main opposition parties.
It controls eight of the Taiwanese parliament's 113 seats and works in a coalition with the KMT to wield control over the legislature.
The relations between Taiwan and mainland China have been central to the recall mandate.
Many supporters of the recall movement point to close ties between some KMT officials and leaders in mainland China.
In April, some KMT legislators travelled to the mainland and met with Beijing's chief theoretician Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, raising concerns that KMT leaders could be taking orders from Beijing.
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The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Attempt to unseat 24 ‘pro-China' opposition politicians in Taiwan fails
An unprecedented attempt in Taiwan to unseat 24 'pro-China' opposition politicians and give a parliamentary majority to the ruling party has failed, with voters in every seat rejecting the notion. Polls opened on Saturday morning for the first 24 of 31 targeted electorates, with voters asked to agree or disagree with a proposal to recall the local legislator and hold a byelection. Polls closed at 4pm local time and by 7pm the central election commission said all had failed to pass, reported CNA, the government media outlet. Under the recall laws, for a seat to be vacated the number of voters in favour must be at least 25% of the electorate and outnumber the votes against. All 24 seats, as well as seven yet to hold a recall vote, are held by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which along with a smaller party has controlled the majority of Taiwan's parliament since the election last year, when Lai Ching-te won the presidency for the Democratic Progressive party (DPP), a pro-sovereignty party that has vowed to push back against China's aggression. The opposition allies have used their votes to block DPP bills including defence budgets, freeze constitutional court appointments, and propose bills that critics said would weaken Taiwan's defences. The obstructions led to mass protests from which the recall movement was born. The KMT are likely to be emboldened by their resounding victory on Saturday. A flipping of just six KMT seats in Taiwan's 113-seat legislature could have freed up president Lai Ching-te and the DPP's agenda, but would also very likely draw increased hostility from China's ruling Communist party, which despises Lai and his party, considering them 'separatists' for opposing its plan to annex Taiwan. Seven seats are still to vote on their recall motions in coming weeks, but Saturday's losses will put the pressure on the campaigners to get six to vote 'agree'. On Saturday night, Lai urged people to accept the results of the vote, saying it was 'not a victory for one party, nor a defeat for the other', but a demonstration of democracy. 'After today, we still have many challenges, but we must prove to the world that Taiwan is a country that is capable of resolving internal disputes with a constitutional system, and is also a country that can unite each other with a democratic spirit after competition,' he said. The KMT praised the result as a decisive rejection of DPP efforts to 'overturn' an election. It also urged people not to see it 'as a signal on cross-Strait or foreign policy, nor should it be interpreted through the lens of 'pro-China' or 'pro-Taiwan' alignment'. 'We stand with the people of Taiwan in their call for stability, competence and inclusive governance,' it said. William Yang, a senior north-east Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the recall campaign had deepened divisions in Taiwan. 'All sides, including all political parties in Taiwan, will need to seriously reflect on the process of this recall campaign and think about how they may be able to find common ground on issues that are key to Taiwan's security and prosperity,' he said. Yang said it also raised questions about the DPP using the threat posed by China in election campaigning, 'at least at a local level'. 'China may view Saturday's result as a sign that more Taiwanese people are not in favour of the 'China threat' rhetoric promoted by [Lai and the DPP], and this may make them feel like peaceful unification remains a viable option for them to resolve the ultimate 'Taiwan question',' Yang said. 'However, this doesn't also mean that Beijing would dial down the level of military and political pressure that they are imposing on Taiwan.' The unprecedented vote has fired up the island's population, just 18 months after a national election. Large rallies were held in Taipei on the eve of the vote, with tens of thousands turning out to support both sides. At an emotional DPP rally on Saturday, the campaign volunteer Julia Lin told the Guardian she was concerned the KMT would now feel 'invincible'. 'Their actions have been extremely reckless, and they've lost the democratic values and legal knowledge that legislators in Taiwan should have,' she said. 'We didn't succeed, but I believe we still need to keep trying to get our voices out there and attract more people to get involved to care about what's happening in Taiwan right now.' The pro-recall campaign was driven by civil society groups and activists, but was subsequently endorsed by the DPP. They had aimed to oust as many as 31 KMT legislators who, they say, are pro-China actors who have risked Taiwan's national security. The KMT denies the accusations. They, like the DPP, oppose annexation by the Communist party of China (CCP), but say the best way to protect the status quo is through friendlier ties with Beijing. The party and its supporters have labelled the recall campaign an anti-democratic power-grab by people who won't accept the results of last year's election. Retaliatory campaigns against DPP seats by the KMT all failed, with dozens of officials arrested over allegedly faking signatures. Beijing has also denounced the recall campaign. The Taiwan affairs office previously accused Lai of being a dictator and seeking to achieve 'one-party dominance'. Taiwan's mainland affairs council this week said it was 'evident and clear' that the CCP was trying to interfere in Taiwan's democratic process.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Attempt to unseat 24 ‘pro-China' opposition politicians in Taiwan appears to fail
An unprecedented attempt in Taiwan to unseat 24 'pro-China' opposition politicians and give a parliamentary majority to the ruling party appears to have failed, with early results indicating voters in every seat had rejected the notion. Polls opened on Saturday morning for the first 24 of 31 targeted seats, with voters asked to agree or disagree with a proposal to recall the local legislator and hold a byelection. Polls closed at 4pm local time and within a couple of hours the early results emerged. By 7pm the central election commission said all had failed to pass, reported CNA, the government media outlet. Under the recall laws, for a seat to be vacated the number of voters in favour must be at least 25% of the electorate and outnumber the votes against. All 24 seats, as well as seven yet to hold a recall vote, are held by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which together with a smaller party has controlled the majority of Taiwan's parliament since the election last year, when Lai Ching-te won the presidency for the Democratic Progressive party (DPP), a pro-sovereignty party that has vowed to push back against China's aggression. The opposition allies used their votes to block DPP bills including defence budgets, freeze court appointments, and propose bills that critics said would weaken Taiwan's defences. The obstructions sparked mass protests from which the recall movement was born. The KMT are likely to be emboldened by their resounding victory on Saturday. A flipping of just six KMT seats could free up president Lai Ching-te and the DPP's agenda, but would also likely see increased hostility from China's ruling Communist party, which despises Lai and his party as 'separatists' for opposing its plan to annex Taiwan. There are a total of 113 seats in the legislature. Seven seats are still to vote on their recall motions in coming weeks, but Saturday's losses will put the pressure on the campaigners to get six to vote 'agree'. William Yang, a senior north asia analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the recall campaign had deepened divisions in Taiwan. 'All sides, including all political parties in Taiwan, will need to seriously reflect on the process of this recall campaign and think about how they may be able to find common ground on issues that are key to Taiwan's security and prosperity,' he said. Yang said it also raised questions about the DPP using the threat posed by China in election campaigning, 'at least at a local level'. 'China may view Saturday's result as a sign that more Taiwanese people are not in favour of the 'China threat' rhetoric promoted by [Lai and the DPP], and this may make them feel like peaceful unification remains a viable option for them to resolve the ultimate 'Taiwan question',' Yang said. 'However, this doesn't also mean that Beijing would dial down the level of military and political pressure that they are imposing on Taiwan.' The unprecedented vote has fired up the island's population, just 18 months after a national election. Large rallies were held in Taipei on the eve of the vote, with tens of thousands turning out to support the two sides. The pro-recall campaign was driven by civil society groups and activists, but since endorsed by the DPP. They had aimed to oust as many as 31 KMT legislators who, they say, are pro-China actors who have risked Taiwan's national security. The KMT denies the accusations. They, like the DPP, oppose annexation by the Communist party of China (CCP), but say the best way to protect the status quo is through friendlier ties with Beijing. The party and its supporters have labelled the recall campaign an anti-democratic power-grab by people who won't accept the results of last year's election. Retaliatory campaigns against DPP seats by the KMT all failed, with dozens of officials arrested over allegedly faking signatures. Senior KMT figures, like party chair Eric Chu, have accused Lai of being a 'dictator' who is 'more communist than the communists, more fascist than the fascists' – comments that were rejected by Lai and criticised by European and Israeli diplomats. Beijing has also denounced the recall campaign. The Taiwan affairs office accused Lai of being a dictator and seeking to achieve 'one-party dominance'. Taiwan's mainland affairs council this week said it was 'evident and clear' that the CCP was trying to interfere in Taiwan's democratic process.
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Taiwan move to recall opposition lawmakers fails
TAIPEI, July 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan opposition lawmakers survived a major recall election on Saturday, thwarting a bid to oust one-fifth of the island's parliamentarians - a move supporters had hoped would send a message to China but that opponents said was an assault on democracy. All recall votes against 24 lawmakers from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), were rejected, according to live vote counts by Taiwanese media. The voting followed a campaign begun by civic groups. The election result will come as a blow to President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party, which has missed an opportunity to reshape the Taiwan legislature and regain its majority. The government said the island's largest-ever recall vote had faced "unprecedented" election interference by China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own - a claim Taiwan rejects. While Lai won last year's presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular. KMT Chairman Eric Chu thanked Taiwan's voters and called for Lai to apologise and reflect on his own governance. "One should not lose the elections and then call for malicious recalls. One should not seek for one-party dominance and destroy democracy," he told a press briefing in Taipei. "Most importantly, the people of Taiwan chose stability and chose a government that gets things done, rather than political infighting." The political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert the territorial claims that Lai and his government reject. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times but been rebuffed. It calls him a "separatist". The heated recall campaign has been closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and state media have repeatedly commented on the vote and used some of the same talking points as the KMT to lambast Lai, Reuters reported this week. Taipei this week said Beijing was "clearly" trying to interfere in its democracy and it was up to Taiwan's people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office. Wu Szu-yao, secretary general of the DPP's legislative caucus, said the party respected the voters' decision with pleasure, adding that the result would only strengthen the DPP's "anti-communist and pro-Taiwan" stance. "This time we saw China was trying everything it could to intervene," she told reporters at party headquarters in Taipei, pointing to Chinese military pressure and a disinformation campaign. "We must be more vigilant against their possible malicious intentions toward Taiwan." The groups seeking the recalls have said theirs is an "anti-communist" movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai's "dictatorship" and "green terror" - referring to the DPP's party colour. The KMT campaigned against what it called a "malicious" recall that failed to respect the result of last year's parliamentary election, saying they have simply been keeping lines of communication open with Beijing and exercising legitimate oversight of Lai's government. Recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers will be held on August 23.
