Petitions Submitted To Recall Taiwan Opposition Lawmakers

TaiwanPlus News

A campaign to recall opposition lawmakers and change the balance of power in Taiwan's legislature has kicked off with petitions containing tens of thousands of signatures being submitted.

Transcript

00:00Tens of thousands of signatures delivered to Taiwan's Central Election Commission, with

00:07hopes of bringing about big political change here. It's the first step in a bid to recall

00:12lawmakers from the main opposition party, the Kuomintang or the KMT. Petition organisers

00:17say the party's legislators are not fit for office, with some accusing KMT lawmakers of

00:24working with China to subvert Taiwan society.

00:27But the Chinese Communist Party and the blue and white party have forgotten that Taiwan's

00:31political mainstay is not the political party, but the citizens who have the votes. The citizens

00:38of Taiwan are now standing up and saying that we are the masters of the country. The blue

00:42and white party and the blue and white party are selling the master. They want to destroy

00:47our country.

00:48There is a big political divide here in Taiwan over how to deal with China, which claims

00:53the self-ruled island nation as part of its territory. The ruling Democratic Progressive

00:58Party, led by President Lai Ching-de, wants to keep China at arm's length, while opposition

01:03parties prefer closer ties with Beijing. It's a difference that has descended into turmoil

01:09since elections last year, when the DPP won the presidency but lost control of the legislature.

01:18It's led to brawls between lawmakers and protests on the street as the opposition passed controversial

01:23reform bills and slashed the central government budget.

01:27To escape this deadlock and shift the balance of power in its favour, DPP caucus whip Ke

01:32Jianming called for a mass recall bid to oust KMT lawmakers. Petitions now delivered include

01:39removing the party's caucus whip and secretary-general from their seats.

01:49The new year should be a year of joy, not a year of sadness.

01:55Partisan clashes show no sign of easing here in Taiwan, and the KMT has launched its own

02:01bid to oust DPP lawmakers. Recalling politicians, just the latest battle in the country's fraught

02:08political war.

02:09Hank Hsu and Rick Lout for Taiwan Plus.

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