Taipei, Taiwan (AP) – Taiwanese voters reject a bid that around a fifth of lawmakers will be kicked out of the opposition nationalist party in Saturday’s recall election, hoping the ruling party will flip the balance of power in the island’s self-emitted island parliament.
The dominant Democrat Progressive Party, which has a tendency to independence, won last year’s presidential election, but the Chinese-friendly nationalist, also known as the KMT, and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party, have enough seats to form a majority.
Official preliminary results showed that the recall effort could not be removed by any of the two dozen KMT lawmakers. The scale of the recall election is unprecedented, with seven more KMT lawmakers facing similar votes on August 23rd.
KMT currently holds 52 seats, while the dominant DPP holds 51 seats. For the DPP to secure a legislative majority, it will need to expel at least six KMT lawmakers, and the ruling party will need to win the by-election, which must be held within three months of the announcement of the results.
For a recall to pass, at least a quarter of eligible voters in a district must vote in favor of it, and the total number of supporters must exceed the voters.
Voting closed at 4pm local time. Taiwan’s Central Election Commission will release its official results on August 1st.
If the results of next month’s polls are also at a disadvantage for the DPP, that means that Taiwan’s government president Lai Ching-Te can continue to face strong resistance from within Congress before the election is expected to take place in 2028.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu told reporters that voters have used the vote to prove that Taiwan’s democracy is mature and that they are seeking an apology from LAI.
“All Taiwanese people chose stability and chose that the government should focus on getting things done rather than engage in a fierce political battle,” he said.
Lev Nachmann, a professor of political science at National Taiwan University, said despite their great efforts, those who support the recall faced a “difficult battle” in trying to free lawmakers in the organized and powerful KMT district.
As a result, it will make it even more difficult for Lai to move his agenda forward, especially ahead of next year’s local elections, said Nachman, a Taiwanese election expert.
“At this point there’s little LAI can do other than try to think of other creative ways that LAI would appeal to the public,” he told The Associated Press.
One of the most powerful and controversial lawmakers, Hu Kunch, has resulted in meeting with opponents and saying that “Taiwan had no choice but to find a way to go in this chaotic world in a more stable way.
DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-Chang said the recall should not be reduced to victory or defeat for political parties, but as a demonstration of citizenship, and said he humbly accepted the outcome. He said his party is responsible for reflecting the sentiment of the people more carefully and adjusting its approach to meet people’s expectations.
Supporters of removing 24 lawmakers have criticized the KMT and its allies for passing controversial changes seen as hampering the defence budget, deterring China’s strength, considering the island’s own territory, and for passing controversial changes seen as supportive of China.
Opposition actions sparked concern among several Taiwanese people about the island’s democratic integrity and its ability to block China’s military threat, leading to a recall campaign.
However, KMT accused him of relying on political retaliation after losing its legislative majority, saying the recall challenges and challenges Taiwan’s democratic system.
The election has strengthened tensions between those who support the status quo and those who are improving relations with Beijing.
Critics have been experiencing problems with meetings with mainland China’s politicians, accusing Chinese-friendly politicians of compromising Taiwan. However, these Taiwanese politicians argue that their connections are essential to the dialogue given Beijing’s refusal to interact with the DPP.
When asked about the recall election, spokesman Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Issues Office, said in June that since LAI’s administration had taken power, he had tried to achieve “one party rule” and practice dictatorship in the guise of democracy, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The office is a branch of China’s ruling Communist government, and in itself maintains strict one-party rules.
Zhu said Lai’s government has not escaped efforts to suppress those who supported the development of cross-sectional relations with the opposition.
Taiwan’s mainland council said on Wednesday that Chinese authorities and state media had attempted to blatantly block the vote.
