TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Several key activists from the movement to recall former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) came together on Saturday (Jan. 23) to support independent Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Chie (黃捷), who is facing a recall.
The activists included Chen Kuan-jung (陳冠榮), a leader in the Han Kuo-yu recall movement; Wecare Kaohsiung founder Yin Li (尹立); and Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) News Department Deputy Director Chang Po-yang (張博洋).
The three stood at the intersection of Zhongzheng Road and Heping Road in Kaohsiung City Saturday morning, CNA reported.
Chen noted that residents of the southern Taiwanese city courageously carried out their civic duty last June as 930,000 people voted Han out of office. Unfortunately, some people did not respect the results of the democratic process and launched a retaliatory recall against Huang, who represents Kaohsiung’s Fengshan District, he said.
Chang pointed out that the purpose of a recall is to replace an unsuitable leader, not to force someone to step down just because some people disagree with them. He mentioned that the Huang recall campaign endangers Taiwan's democracy, and he expressed hope that the people of Kaohsiung will unite to defend democracy.
Removal of the city councilor will not make Fengshan District better. If the Kuomintang (KMT) or other groups want those districts to improve, they should urge KMT city councilors to be more serious about local politics during meetings, Chen added.
Yin said that the reasons behind calls for Huang’s dismissal are ridiculous, which suggests that hatred for the city councilor is the primary motive behind the campaign. He pointed out that although dismissal is a means to amend the election results, it should be for legitimate reasons.
According to the election laws, the effective number of votes for a recall must exceed a quarter of the total number of voters in the electoral district and must surpass the number of “no” votes. As there are 287,829 registered voters in Fengshan District, at least 71,958 votes are required to successfully remove Huang from office.
Huang’s recall vote will be held on Feb. 6.
