KMT triumphs in recall vote amid growing public discontent with Taiwan's DPP authorities

A recall campaign against 24 legislators of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan failed on Saturday, with none of the proposals receiving more votes in favor of the recall than against it, according to the local election affairs authority.

Voting took place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday across the island. As ballots were counted after polls closed, the "no" votes consistently outnumbered the "yes" votes in all 24 recall cases, marking a sweeping victory for the KMT in the first round of the large-scale recall campaign.

A recall vote targeting the suspended mayor of Hsinchu was held the same day and likewise failed to pass.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) currently holds 51 seats in the island's 113-seat legislature, making it a minority party. Observers believed that although the recall campaign appeared to be initiated by "civil groups," it was in fact orchestrated by the DPP authorities led by Lai Ching-te, in an attempt to reverse their disadvantage in the legislature through recalls and by-elections.

"The landslide rejection in the voting is a reflection of public anger toward Lai and the DPP authorities," said Hsieh Chih-chuan, a current affairs commentator in Taiwan, adding that since taking office, the Lai authorities have persecuted dissenting voices through judicial and other means, while continuously stirring up tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

The outcome of the votes reflects the latest public sentiment in Taiwan -- a clear rejection of the DPP's attempts to seek "Taiwan independence," Hsieh said, calling it a "total failure" for the party.

The result indicates that peaceful cross-Strait relations represent the mainstream will of the people in Taiwan, said Wang Kun-Yih, president of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society. If the DPP does not change its cross-Strait policy, it risks being abandoned by the public, he noted.

The second round of recall votes targeting another seven KMT legislators is scheduled to be held on August 23.

According to local election rules, a recall vote will pass if the number of valid votes in agreement exceeds the number of votes in disagreement. The number of votes in agreement must also equal at least a quarter of the total number of eligible voters in the electoral district.