TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Democratic Progressive Party insider has criticized President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) confrontational approach to recall campaigns, warning it could lead to further electoral setbacks ahead of the Aug. 23 recall vote.
Speaking to CTWANT, the insider said the remaining Kuomintang legislators facing recall are veterans entrenched in opposition strongholds. They argued that Lai’s aggressive strategy has been less effective than former President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) broader coalition-building tactics.
The insider stressed that the DPP must, at a minimum, maintain voter turnout and urged closer cooperation with third-party groups such as the New Power Party to avoid a decisive loss.
National Sun Yat-sen University Professor Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) said the DPP’s success in difficult districts during the 2020 general election stemmed from alliances with local progressive forces. He argued the party failed to adequately support the latest round of recall campaigns and avoided taking responsibility for its recent defeats.
Jang added that the DPP may have already lost legitimacy in the upcoming recall votes. DPP Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) echoed this view, admitting the party did not do enough to back the campaigns but said the DPP should now focus its resources more strategically, as seven legislators still face possible recall.
Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆) also criticized the party’s handling of the failed July 26 recall votes, per Storm Media. He said the strategy of trying to remove all opposition lawmakers to regain a legislative majority is not only unpopular but also inconsistent with international democratic norms.
You questioned why Lai has not addressed the roles of DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), both seen as key figures behind the recall efforts.
He also rejected Shen’s claim that recalls help prevent public anger from spilling into street violence. You argued it is inappropriate for the ruling party to rely on protests as a political tool and urged the DPP to resolve political conflict through institutional means. He noted that protests continued throughout the month leading up to the failed July 26 recalls.
Taiwan People’s Party Deputy Secretary-General Osmar Hsu (許甫) said infighting among pro-DPP figures — including You and United Microelectronics Corporation founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) — has weakened the party’s control over the recall movement, per Newtalk. Hsu claimed the recall groups enjoy strong grassroots support among DPP voters, making it difficult for the party to distance itself from them.
He also warned that dissenting voices within the DPP, such as Legislator Wang Shi-chien (王世堅), who called for an end to the recall push last week, could be sidelined following the party’s internal review after the Aug. 23 vote.
