Civil groups and pprno seyretindividuals on Tuesday oppose the ruling Democratic Progressive Party authorities' efforts to recall opposition party "lawmakers". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Civil groups and individuals advocating for peaceful cross-Strait development in Taiwan gathered outside the island's "legislature" on Tuesday to urge people to oppose the ruling Democratic Progressive Party authorities' efforts to recall opposition party "lawmakers".
A recall vote is scheduled for July 26, targeting 24 Chinese Kuomintang party "lawmakers" and the mayor of Hsinchu, which could significantly impact the restructuring of the island's "legislature". Currently, the opposition holds a delicate yet influential majority, with the KMT and the smaller Taiwan People's Party holding 62 seats, while the DPP, to which the island's leader Lai Ching-te belongs, has 51 seats.
Wu Jung-yuan, chairman of the Labor Party in Taiwan who organized the event, said that the DPP aims to regain a majority in the "legislature", and the event was to prevent the DPP from passing more laws that harm cross-Strait relations.
Protesters sing a song to oppose the recall campaign targeting Taiwan's opposition party "lawmakers". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Chi Hsing, publisher of The Observer magazine based in Taiwan, said that the DPP is unwilling to remain a minority in the "legislature" after the elections last year and is attempting to regain control," hence the initiation of the large-scale recall campaign.
If the DPP succeeded in the recall voting on July 26, they would potentially hold a majority in the "legislature" starting from Aug 1. In such a scenario, laws passed through cooperation between the KMT and the TPP over the past year could be overturned, and the DPP might intensify its persecution of opposition parties.
Chi Chia-lin, honorary chairman of the Reunification Alliance Party in Taiwan, said that the DPP's "pro-independence" and anti-China policies, if unchecked by opposition parties, will likely worsen cross-Strait relations, leading Taiwan down a path of heightened tensions and potential conflict.
Yu Chi-bin, deputy secretary of the island's New Party, said that Lai's so-called 10 speeches on "uniting the country" are baseless and misleading. He called for people to vote against the recall and oppose Lai's authoritarianism.