Political parties in Taiwan recall dozens of MPs just one year after election

Australia Broadcast Center

09-05-2025

A controversial campaign to prematurely unseat dozens of opposition members of parliament has polarised Taiwan, triggering competing rallies and fierce debate over the future of its democracy.
Supporters say it's about breaking political deadlock.
Opponents say it's a dangerous power grab by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in central Taipei on April 26, just outside the Presidential Office building, to "stand up and fight the dictator".
The "dictator" in question was President Lai Ching-te of the DPP, who was democratically elected just over a year ago.
The rally marked the most high-profile response yet to a nationwide campaign targeting opposition MPs known as a recall.
"Disagreement is normal in a democracy," said Stacey Chen, a supporter of the opposition Taiwan People's Party.
So, exactly who is being targeted by the recall? What do voters think?
And where does it leave Taiwan in the face of threats from Beijing?
Taiwan is a self-governing island of 23 million people with a vibrant, if often polarised, democracy.
Its political system allows voters to remove their elected representatives before the end of their term through a legal process known as a recall.
"He absolutely does not qualify as [a dictator]," said Tang Ching-ping from National Chengchi University about Mr Lai.
But recalls are rare — and they've never been used on this scale before.
The current wave of recall motions began after the DPP lost its majority in parliament during the 2024 elections.
Although it held on to the presidency, it won just 51 out of 113 seats in the legislature — one seat short of its main rival, the Kuomintang, a party often accused by the DPP as being pro-Beijing.
The Taiwan People's Party won eight seats, and two independents hold the balance of power.
The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party have since formed a coalition, giving them control of parliament.
The DPP has accused them of blocking legislation, cutting budgets, and paralysing the government.
In January, the opposition coalition pushed through major funding cuts — slashing about 7 per cent of the annual budget and freezing billions more.
"Hostile China will be very pleased," Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai warned at the time, suggesting the cuts could weaken the island's defences.
The stand-off triggered the launch of the Great Recall campaign.
Supporters say it's about protecting national security and democracy from an obstructionist opposition.
Critics say it's a dangerous attempt to silence dissent and tilt the political playing field.
To win back control of parliament, the DPP needs to remove at least six district-level opposition politicians and replace them with its own candidates.
But not all are vulnerable.
Taiwan's parliament includes two types of legislators: district representatives, who are elected by local voters, and "at-large" members, who are chosen based on party vote share. Only district MPs can be recalled.
It means that 13 Kuomintang legislators and all eight Taiwan People's Party legislators — who hold at-large seats — are safe.
So far, pro-DPP groups have filed recall motions against 34 Kuomintang politicians and one independent aligned with the Kuomintang.
The Kuomintang has denounced the effort as a "witch hunt" and an attempt by the DPP to establish one-party rule.
It has launched a counter-campaign targeting 15 DPP legislators.
Kuomintang chair Eric Chu has accused Mr Lai of launching "a cultural revolution in Taiwan", referencing the bloody purges in China under Mao Zedong.
He also threatened to initiate a recall motion against Mr Lai himself as soon as it becomes legally possible, on May 20 — one year after Mr Lai took office.
For his part, Mr Lai has rejected characterisations as a dictator.
"You can't only oppose the DPP but stay silent on the Chinese Communist Party," he said.
The Great Recall campaign has struck a nerve in Taiwanese society — not just in parliament, but on the streets, within families and online.
Pop-up booths where volunteers gather recall signatures have become flashpoints for political confrontation. Videos of heated arguments between strangers have gone viral on social media.
Some DPP supporters see the campaign as necessary for Taiwan's survival in the face of growing pressure from Beijing.
"We are facing an existential threat from China," said a DPP volunteer gathering signatures in Taipei.
But public opinion appears to be shifting.
A recent poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation found 59.3 per cent of respondents oppose the DPP's recall campaign, with 33.8 per cent in support.
Now, figures within the DPP are urging caution.
Former president Chen Shui-bian — the first DPP leader known for his strong advocacy of Taiwanese sovereignty and a clear break from China — warned against using recalls to punish political opponents.
"Respecting different opinions and listening to minority voices is the true essence of democracy," Mr Chen said.
"You can't label someone an agent of some entity just because they hold a different view."
Ms Chen, a supporter of the opposition Taiwan People's Party who attended the April 26 rally, said: "I'm 43 years old, born and raised here, and I've never seen the country this divided in my entire life.
"There was never this idea that 'If you don't support the DPP, you are a CCP collaborator.'"
That fear of being labelled pro-Beijing — even for holding moderate or dissenting views — is a recurring theme.
Deer Lee, in his 20s, said he avoids political discussions with friends, many of whom support the DPP.
"If your views are even slightly different, you get sidelined," he said.
Others believe the DPP is using the recall campaign as a political weapon, not a democratic safeguard.
"If it's about recalling a single unfit legislator, I think that's something we can discuss rationally," said university student Eric Hsu.
Professor Tang said the mass recall campaign was eating away at something deeper than party politics.
"Taiwanese society has always been grounded in trust and strong social bonds," he said.
"But this campaign is being driven by resentment, not accountability — and that's not good for democracy."
In the first stage, the campaign must gather signatures from at least 1 per cent of the voters in a politician's district.
If successful, a second stage requires support from 10 per cent of eligible voters.
A recall voting process is then facilitated.
For it to pass, the number of votes in favour must both exceed those against and make up more than 25 per cent of the total electorate.
This makes recalls difficult to pull off — but not impossible, especially with strong party machinery behind them.
Taiwan's growing domestic divide is unfolding at a time of deepening geopolitical tension.
China, which claims Taiwan as one of its provinces and has not ruled out using force to take it, has ramped up its military pressure.
Live-fire drills and other military exercises by the People's Liberation Army around Taiwan are now routine.
In early April, Beijing staged another round of drills, simulating attacks on Taiwan's ports and energy facilities.
Around the same time, Chinese state media released propaganda cartoons portraying Mr Lai as a parasite being grilled over flames.
The drills drew condemnation from both the ruling DPP and the opposition Kuomintang.
But the Kuomintang also used the moment to urge the Lai administration to tone down its rhetoric.
Adding to the unease was a surprise move from Taiwan's closest ally, the United States.
The Trump administration in April announced a 32 per cent tariff on some Taiwanese goods — a decision that stunned the island.
The tariff was suspended shortly afterwards, pending trade talks, but it left many questioning how reliable Taiwan's partners really are.
The opposition seized on the moment, accusing the DPP of jeopardising Taiwan's "silicon shield" — a term referring to Taiwan's dominance in semiconductor manufacturing, which many believe acts as a strategic buffer against Chinese aggression.
That argument was sharpened after Taiwan's chip giant, TSMC, announced a $US100 billion investment in American factories.
At the April 26 rally, senior Kuomintang figure Han Kuo-yu summed up the sense of pressure from all sides.
"Three swords are hanging over the people of Taiwan," he said — referring to the US tariff threat, China's military drills, and the domestic turmoil caused by the recall campaign.
So far, Mr Lai has not publicly commented on the recall drives launched by either camp and has instead called for national unity in the face of rising external threats.
Recall votes could begin as soon as late August.