TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The recall campaign launched in Keelung City to remove Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) has achieved the necessary number of signatures to progress to a public vote, reports said Saturday (June 29). 

A spokesperson for the recall campaign said they had collected over 36,000 signatures, surpassing the necessary threshold of 31,000, which accounts for 10% of the electorate. The campaign expects to have close to 40,000 signatures when they are all submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) on July 5, reported CNA.

A civic group called the Shanhai Citizen’s Movement to Take Down Liang began organizing the recall campaign against Hsieh in March. The first phase of collecting signatures began on April 8. The first phase of the recall campaign collected over 3,000 signatures, or 1% of the electorate, which was certified in early May.

If the CEC approves the batch of signatures that will be submitted next week, then it will proceed to schedule a public vote. Under current law, at least 25% of the Keelung electorate must vote “agree” to the recall referendum for Hsieh to be removed from office. 

Prior to the recall campaign, Hsieh drew public criticism for his involvement in scandal over proprietorship of the E-Square Mall, a commercial property located next to Keelung Harbor. 

News of the recall campaign’s success comes as KMT allies of Hsieh in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan are drafting amendments to Taiwan’s recall law that would make it much more difficult to recall elected officials. If the new amendment passes to become national law, it could help the mayor avoid being removed from office in Keelung.