Taipei: Taiwan is witnessing an unprecedented political showdown as recall motions, targeting the virtual removal of a major political party from the national legislature, unfold across the nation. As of March 10, recall campaigns have been mounted against 34 of the opposition Kuomintang’s (KMT) 39 lawmakers eligible to be recalled under Taiwan’s Public Officials Election and Recall Act.
According to Focus Taiwan, the discord centers on the inability of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government and a Legislature controlled by an opposition coalition, consisting of KMT, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and independent lawmakers, to reach consensus on key issues. Of that coalition, 13 KMT and all eight TPP lawmakers are “at-large” lawmakers, who are not subject to recall motions.
The recall campaign raises questions about whether it is driven by power politics, with the removal of at least six KMT lawmakers potentially allowing the DPP to secure a majority in the Legislature. Public discontent with opposition lawmakers is also a factor, particularly regarding their passage of laws later ruled unconstitutional and decisions to cut and freeze parts of the DPP government’s budget request.
Tech mogul Robert Tsao has branded the campaign a battle against “pro-China lawmakers who seek to sell out Taiwan.” Tsao claims that KMT and TPP lawmakers serve as a “Trojan horse,” undermining Taiwan’s security through disruptive legislation. While civil society groups have played a role in the recall effort, political science professor Su Tzu-chiao suggests the driving force is the DPP, leveraging public discontent to spur the campaign.
DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming publicly called for “mass recalls” of KMT lawmakers, and National Taipei University political science professor Liu Jia-wei notes that Ker suggested President Lai Ching-te would eventually clarify his stance on the issue. The recall idea predates the current stalemate, with Ker first proposing it after the 2024 elections where the DPP lost its legislative majority.
Despite Ker’s comments, other DPP officials deny orchestrating the recall movement, and President Lai has not publicly supported the campaign. However, in mid-March, the DPP launched roadshows criticizing opposition restraints on government spending, with some events featuring civil society groups gathering signatures for recall petitions.
Concerns have been raised about the recalls’ impact on Taiwanese society. Professor Liu Jia-wei highlights a “lack of legitimacy” in the movement, warning of a “vicious cycle” of political camps leveling recall threats against each other. The KMT has attempted to oust DPP lawmakers but with little momentum.
Limited polling shows public disapproval of the opposition’s budget cuts but does not necessarily translate into support for recall initiatives. The Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation found that 53 percent of respondents considered the budget cuts inappropriate. However, My-Formosa polls indicate that nearly 57 percent view the recall movement as disadvantageous to Taiwan.
Campaigners must gather signatures from at least 10 percent of eligible voters in a constituency for recall votes to proceed. The actual votes would occur within 20 to 60 days after confirmation of reaching this threshold. To date, only three municipal-level officials have been recalled in Taiwan.