Recall Rallies Organized Across Taiwan as Dozens of Lawmakers Face Public Vote

TaiwanPlus News

Saturday saw rallies across Taiwan both for and against upcoming recall votes. Petitions to oust 24 opposition Kuomintang lawmakers have been greenlit and will move on to a public vote next month. Both sides of the political spectrum are now urging their supporters to get out and cast their ballot.

Transcript

00:00On the streets of Hualien in eastern Taiwan, a rally urging voters to oust opposition

00:10Kuomintang caucus whip Fu Kunqi from office. His fate now set to be decided by public vote

00:16next month. He's just one of at least 24 KMT lawmakers who will face recall votes on July 26.

00:30This rally comes one day after Taiwan's Central Election Commission officially set a date for

00:55the recall votes. It follows months of campaigns on both sides of the political spectrum.

01:00To recall lawmakers from both the Kuomintang and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

01:04Each of the recall petitions needed to gain enough signatures before being greenlit for

01:09a public vote. While almost all petitions targeting DPP lawmakers have failed, two dozen of those

01:15against KMT lawmakers have advanced to the voting stage, with more still gathering signatures

01:20or pending review. On the same day, KMT officials held a large rally of their own in Taipei,

01:26urging people to get out and vote against the recalls.

01:29KMT officials held a large rally of their own in Taipei, which is what they only care about.

01:34So let all of the people know that only on July 26, they stand out and vote on July 26,

01:44everyone will vote on July 26. What do you want to vote?

01:48Upcoming votes put at risk almost half of the KMT's seats in the country's legislature,

02:00where its coalition with the smaller Taiwan People's Party gives the opposition a slight

02:04majority. If a lawmaker is recalled, another vote will be held to determine who takes their

02:09place. So it's a high-stakes fight for those on both sides of the aisle in Taiwan,

02:14taking to the streets to urge the public to get out and vote. The fates of a growing number

02:19of lawmakers now in their hands. Alex Chen and Keynes Quaranta for Taiwan Plus.

Category

Transcript

Recommended