More than 450,000 signatures have been collected for the second-phase petition of a campaign to recall Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), with that number expected to surpass 500,000 by the middle of next month, Wecare Kaohsiung founder Aaron Yin (尹立) said yesterday, urging Han to “know when to quit.”
The recall petition organizers are “very close” to reaching their goal of 480,000 signatures, and the signatures include about 100,000 that were collected by Citizens Mowing Action, he said.
Organizers expect to have more than 500,000 signatures by the time they are to submit the second-phase petition papers to the Central Election Commission in the middle of next month, he said.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
That they have been able to continue to collect signatures is an expression of the “collective will” of Kaohsiung’s residents, he said.
Despite a shortage of funds and resources, organizers would “fight to the end,” and they hope Taiwanese would support this “proud moment in the history of democracy,” he added.
The Civil Servants Election And Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) permits political donations to election campaigns, but there are no such rules to aid recalls, Yin said.
He has consulted a lawyer about ways the campaign can attract more resources, he said.
Under the act, a review of a recall petition’s signatures must be completed within 40 days of their submission, and if deemed sufficient, a recall vote must be held 20 to 60 days later.
The threshold for the second stage of the recall bid is set at 10 percent of a city or county’s population, or about 228,000 in Kaohsiung’s case, while a formal recall would require at least 580,000 votes, or one-fourth of eligible voters in Kaohsiung in the final stage.
Asked about Yin’s comments, Kaohsiung Information Bureau Director-General Cheng Chao-hsin (鄭照新) said that city government colleagues are focused on running the city, including efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, and promoting bilingual education and agricultural products.
The January elections are over, while the COVID-19 outbreak is still changing, he said.
Instead of pursuing political goals, the city government is working for its residents every day, he added.
Meanwhile, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who is running in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) chairperson election, said in a livestreamed interview that Han is “a very important asset and the pride of the KMT,” and that the party should rely on him.
Hau said he has “100 percent confidence” in Han’s ability to govern, and the next KMT chairperson should work closely with Han and help him avoid being recalled.
The KMT should cherish Han’s accomplishments in Kaohsiung and help him win the approval of the city’s residents, Hau said.
“Without Han Kuo-yu, the KMT could not have accomplished what it has,” he said.
In addition, those who voted for Han [in the Jan. 11 presidential election] are people who identify with the KMT, so the KMT should do a good job of internal reforms to repay them, Hau said.
‘LOW PROBABILITY’: China still ‘has a ways to go to develop the actual, no-kidding capability’ to seize Taiwan militarily, US General Mark Milley said The US’ top general on Thursday downplayed concern that China would attempt a military takeover of Taiwan in the near term, saying Beijing does not have the capability to do so. While there has been rising concern in Taiwan and among US lawmakers about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, such as flying jets in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), US military officials said that such moves are not overly concerning. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told lawmakers that while Taiwan was still a core national interest of China, “there’s little intent right now, or motivation,
A Kaohsiung woman who thought that she was dating Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves was found not guilty of abetting fraud, the Kaohsiung District Court has ruled. Citing insufficient evidence to prove intent, the court on May 27 dismissed fraud and money-laundering charges against the woman, surnamed Chang (張), saying that the evidence suggested that she had been duped. The verdict can be appealed. The verdict said that police opened an investigation into Chang after her bank account was linked to an online catfishing scheme, which involves luring someone into a relationship by using a fictional online persona. The scheme claimed two victims, including a
The Canadian House of Commons on Thursday unanimously passed the first reading of a proposal to create a legal framework for efforts to strengthen relations with Taiwan. The Canada-Taiwan Relations Framework Act was introduced by Canadian Member of Parliament Michael Cooper, who said that not having a formal diplomatic relationship with Taiwan has complicated interactions between the two nations. Taiwan is one of Canada’s largest trading partners, and the two share strong people-to-people links and common values, he said. Taiwan “is a vibrant economy and one of the world’s top 20 economies. It is time Canada’s relations with Taiwan reflect
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday condemned Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Institute of Revolutionary Practice director Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) for calling the government a “vaccine beggar” for receiving a donation of COVID-19 vaccines from the US. “Lo is still living in feudal China,” DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) told a news conference. “When Taiwan needs unity, he uses malicious words to malign our president’s character and Taiwan’s national integrity. This person is either evil or he is completely ignorant,” she said. Taiwan donated 2 million masks to the US, and provided 2 million masks and 50,000 protective gowns to Japan when they
RSS