Reported about 1 year ago
Facing public calls for recalls, the KMT caucus in the Legislative Yuan proposed raising the recall threshold by requiring recall approval votes to surpass the winning votes of the recalled official. The draft amendment to the Recall Act will hold a public hearing on July 3 and undergo line-by-line review in the Internal Affairs Committee on July 4. If the blue and white parties join forces, the amendment is likely to smoothly pass the committee. This move is seen as preparation for the anticipated 'era of large-scale recalls' in 2025, with past instances including former legislators Lin Chia-lung, Chen Po-wei, Lin Ching-yi, and current Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Chiech going through recalls, emphasizing the need for recall votes to exceed winning votes. However, the proposal has faced criticism for potentially making recalls a dead-end process. Different examples consider the top three KMT legislators facing potential recall hits, with Tou Chuan-chi currently requiring 77,180 votes for recall and the KMT version proposing an increase to 103,698 votes; followed by Yeh Yu-jen needing 58,281 votes for recall, with the KMT suggesting 78,135 votes; and Yunlin's Ting Hsueh-chung, whose threshold is 68,752 votes, possibly rising to 84,737 votes. DPP legislator Huang Chiech criticized the move as potentially turning recalls into rigged processes. KMT legislator Hung Meng-kai emphasized the need to gather public opinions during the upcoming discussion. The KMT is reportedly aiming to accelerate the process and ensure swift passage through the committee, leveraging its numerical advantage. However, concerns have been raised about the consistency of applying recall standards and the potential consequences of the proposed amendments.
Source: YAHOO