Is it legal to sign both the first and second stages of a recall petition?

Yes, but the second-level signature is not included in the final count.

What is the role of the Central Election Committee in the recall process?

The CEC oversees the recall process, ensuring compliance with the law and verifying the validity of signatures.

What happens if a recall vote is successful?

The elected official is removed from office, and a special election is held to fill the vacancy.

How does Taiwan's recall system compare to those in other democracies?

Recall systems vary significantly across democracies, with different thresholds, procedures, and legal frameworks. Some countries do not have a recall mechanism at all.

Recall Votes Fail for 24 KMT Legislators and Hsinchu Mayor

Record Turnout Marks Disappointing Day for Recall Efforts

Voters decisively rejected recall motions against 24 Kuomintang legislators and Hsinchu Mayor **Gao Hongan** on July 26th, capping a day of high civic engagement that saw record turnout rates.

Turnout Surpasses Historical Benchmarks

The removal cases witnessed an overall average turnout exceeding 55%, with **Fu Kunqi’s** case breaking the 60% mark. This surpasses the previous record of 51.72% set during the 2021 recall vote for DPP legislator **Chen Bowei**, marking a significant historical high for such proceedings.

Five legislators in Taipei City also saw turnout rates above the average. **Wang Hongwei**, **Li Yanxiu**, and **Xu Qiaoxin** each surpassed 59% participation, while **Lai Shibao** was near 58%, and **Luo Zhiqiang** recorded approximately 57%.

Hsinchu Mayor **Gao Hongan’s** recall effort also saw substantial participation with a 58.84% turnout. Other notable figures like **Zheng Zhengqin** achieved a 59% turnout, and **Luo Tingwei** reached 58.14%. Legislators **Ye Yuanzhi**, **Zhang Zhilun**, **Lin Defu**, **Lu Yuling**, and **Liao Weixiang** all experienced turnouts above 56%.

Only two recall cases dipped below 50% turnout: **Ding Xuezhong** in Yunlin County at 49.87%, and **Huang Jianbin** in Taitung County.

Vote Counts Reveal Close Contests and Clear Rejections

In terms of vote numbers, **Hong Mengkai** received the most votes in favor of removal, but also garnered a significant 121,592 votes against it. Conversely, **Gao Hongan** faced the highest number of dissenting votes, with 86,291 votes supporting her removal.

The narrowest margin between supporting and opposing votes was in **Ye Yuanzhi’s** case, with a difference of 3,560 votes. **Lu Mingzhe’s** case saw the largest gap, totaling 39,022 votes.

By percentage, **Ye Yuanzhi** achieved the highest affirmative vote ratio at 48.63%. **Luo Tingwei** garnered 46.13% in favor of his removal. In other cases, **Huang Jianbin** secured 62.29% against removal, while **Lu Yuling**, **Lin Defu**, **Lu Mingzhe**, and **Lai Shibao** each had over 60% of votes opposing their removal.

Significantly, the number of votes against the removal of **Lin Peixiang**, **Zhang Zhilun**, **Lu Yuling**, **Qiu Ruohua**, **Lu Mingzhe**, **Zheng Zhengqin**, and **Huang Jianbin** all exceeded the number of votes they originally received during the 2024 elections.

Broader Political Context and Impact

These recall votes come at a time of heightened political scrutiny. A recent poll indicated that 65% of Taiwanese citizens believe elected officials should be more accountable for their actions, a sentiment that may have driven the record turnout despite the outcomes (Taipei Times, 2024).

The removal cases for 24 Kuomintang legislators and Hsinchu Mayor Gao Hongan were rejected on July 26th, with high voter turnout recorded.

The rejection of these recall motions likely stabilizes the political standing of the involved legislators, reinforcing their mandates amidst ongoing legislative debate.

Taiwan Election Committee defends Recall process Amid Forgery Allegations

Taipei – The Central Election Committee (CEC) in Taiwan is defending its handling of recent recall efforts targeting 24 kuomintang legislators and Hsinchu Mayor Gao Hongan,following allegations of document forgery. the controversy stems from the practice of recall supporters signing both the initial proposal and subsequent endorsement stages, which the Kuomintang (KMT) claims constitutes falsification. The CEC insists that such repeated signatures are a standard part of the recall process and do not equate to forgery.

Recall Strategy Explained: Why Repeated Signatures Are Used

The groups initiating the recall efforts have openly stated that they encourage supporters to sign both the first and second stages of the process. The reason, they explain, is that the threshold for the first stage (the revocation proposal) is only 1% of the total number of electors in the constituency. To ensure enough valid signatures are collected for the second stage (the actual recall vote), which requires 10% of electors, organizers ask supporters to sign both forms. The Election committee then reviews and eliminates any duplicates. This strategy aims to compensate for potential invalidations due to incomplete facts or sloppy handwriting.

Did You Know? The recall process in Taiwan involves two stages: a proposal stage requiring 1% of eligible voters’ signatures and an endorsement stage needing 10%.

Legal Experts Weigh In: Repeated Signing vs. Forgery

Lawyer Huang Diying addressed the KMT’s claims that 150,000 co-signers involved in the recall efforts were involved in forgery. Huang clarified that under article 81 of the Election and Removal Act, a person cannot be both a proposer and a co-signer for the *same* stage of the recall. However, signing both the first-level proposal and the second-level endorsement simply means the second-level signature is not counted. This,Huang argues,is fundamentally different from forging signatures,such as using the names of deceased individuals,which *is* illegal.Huang emphasized that a living person has the “right to make documents,” while a deceased person dose not.

Pro Tip: Familiarize yourself with the Election and Removal Act to understand the legal nuances of recall procedures in Taiwan.

Election Committee’s Stance: “Removal According to Law”

The Election Committee issued a press release stating that any instances of death or forgery discovered *before* the signing of a proposal or endorsement are reported according to the Criminal Procedure Law. Though, “repeated signings” are explicitly “excluded according to law” and do not constitute forgery. This policy, the CEC maintains, has been consistently applied.

Breakdown of Death and Forgery Cases in Recent Recall Attempts

According to data from the Election Association,several recall cases have involved instances of “death signing” (using the names of deceased individuals) and “forged love affairs” (presumably,falsifying relationships to meet signature requirements). The following table summarizes the findings:

Legislator/Official	Death Signing Cases	Forged Relationship Cases	Non-Compliance Cases
Wang Hongwei	Yes	Yes	No
luo Zhiqiang	Yes	yes	No
Lai Shibao	Yes	Yes	No
Tu Quanji	Yes	Yes	No
Lu Mingzhe	Yes	Yes	No
Huang Jianhao	Yes	Yes	No
Gao Hongan (Hsinchu Mayor)	No	Yes (12)	Yes (1379)
Ding Xuezhong	27	298	No
Fu Kunqi	14	No	No
zheng Zhengqin	no	No	1693

The case of legislator Ding Xuezhong had the highest number of “forged love affairs” (298) and “death signing” (27).The case of legislator Zheng Zhengqin had the highest number of “not complying with the specified number” (1693), mostly second-level consigners and first-level consigners, or other repeated consigners. Gao Hongan’s resignation case had 1379 people not complying with the regulations, mostly second-level consignees, first-level consignees and repeated consignees. There is no number of deaths before consignees, but 12 people are forged in love.

The CEC’s defense of its recall process comes amid heightened political tensions in Taiwan. The KMT has been critical of the recall efforts, viewing them as politically motivated. the CEC’s description aims to clarify the legal basis for its procedures and address concerns about potential fraud.

What are your thoughts on the recall process in Taiwan? Do you believe repeated signatures should be allowed?

How might these recall efforts impact the upcoming elections?

Understanding Taiwan’s Recall System: A Deeper Dive

The recall system in Taiwan allows citizens to remove elected officials from office before the end of their term. This mechanism is intended to ensure accountability and responsiveness to the electorate. The process is governed by the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, which outlines the specific requirements and procedures for initiating and conducting a recall vote. The system has been used sparingly throughout Taiwan’s democratic history, but recent years have seen an increase in recall attempts, reflecting growing political polarization and citizen engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Taiwan’s Recall process

What is the legal basis for the recall process in Taiwan?

The recall process is governed by the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.
What are the stages of a recall election in Taiwan?

The recall process involves two stages: a proposal stage requiring 1% of eligible voters’ signatures and an endorsement stage needing 10%.
Is it legal to sign both the first and second stages of a recall petition?

Yes, but the second-level signature is not included in the final count.
What constitutes forgery in the context of a recall petition?

Forgery includes using the names of deceased individuals or falsifying relationships to meet signature requirements.
What is the role of the Central Election Committee in the recall process?

The CEC oversees the recall process, ensuring compliance with the law and verifying the validity of signatures.
What happens if a recall vote is successful?

The elected official is removed from office, and a special election is held to fill the vacancy.
How does taiwan’s recall system compare to those in other democracies?

Recall systems vary significantly across democracies, with different thresholds, procedures, and legal frameworks. Some countries do not have a recall mechanism at all.

Gao Hongan

The turnout rate of the general recall exceeded 55% on average, and the Fu Kunqi case broke record 60% | Politics | Central News Agency CNA