TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Several top Taipei KMT officials were detained Friday over alleged forgery related to a recall campaign targeting DPP legislators, triggering political protests and accusations of prosecutorial bias.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office summoned Taipei KMT Chair Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), Secretary-General Chu Wen-ching (初文卿), Director-General Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), and First District Executive Officer Tseng Fan-chuan (曾繁川) for questioning Thursday night, per CNA. All were taken into custody following the inquiry.
In response to nationwide raids on KMT offices, KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) led a protest outside the prosecutor’s office, denouncing the on-going investigations as politically motivated. Chu also announced a larger rally scheduled for April 26 on Ketagalan Boulevard, aimed at President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) joined the protest in what he described as a personal, not official, capacity, per CNA. The area surrounding the prosecutor's office is designated as a no-protest zone, and Chiang urged the Legislative Yuan to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet.
Other prominent KMT figures at the protest included caucus leader Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) and Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政). Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) voiced support for the demonstration via Facebook, urging prosecutors to maintain independence and calling on the judiciary to defend democracy and the rule of law, per ETtoday.
The DPP pushed back swiftly. Party Spokesperson Justin Wu (吳崢) criticized the KMT's protest late Thursday, arguing that rallying after being caught falsifying recall petitions only undermines the rule of law, per CNA. Wu also condemned Chiang’s presence, saying it was inappropriate for a city mayor to protest against his own law enforcement officials.
DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said Chiang’s call for a no-confidence vote came too late, noting that many of the DPP recall campaigns had already advanced to their second phase, per CNA. She added that any such proposal would still need to pass through KMT-aligned forces, including Taiwan People’s Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌).
The DPP Taipei City Council caucus also condemned Chiang's participation, per Newtalk. Caucus convener Chen Tzu-hui (陳慈慧) pointed out that it was the city's own Department of Household Registration that first flagged irregularities in the KMT’s petition drive. She said local police should have dispersed the protest, mayor included, to enforce the law and accused Chiang of undermining the judicial process.
Taipei City DPP Secretary-General Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) called on the Taipei City Election Commission to sever ties with Chiang to preserve administrative neutrality.
