Nearly 60 percent of Kaohsiung residents polled said that they would vote to recall Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), think tank Taiwan Brain Trust, which conducted the survey, said yesterday.
A petition to recall the mayor is undergoing a second review and if it is passed, a vote is to be held in the latter half of June.
Of those polled, 69.7 percent said that they would participate in a vote, while 56 percent said they would still participate if there was a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 infections.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The data showed that, irrespective of the COVID-19 pandemic, Han would likely be recalled, Taiwan Brain Trust director Wu Shih-chang (吳世昌) said.
“From the results of the survey it is clear that Kaohsiung residents have made up their minds. There seems to be a consensus that Han Kuo-yu has not been given a pass on his performance,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said.
DPP Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), the think tank’s chief executive, criticized Han’s statements about the advantages his administration had brought to the city.
Han’s claims are not reflected in the performance of his administration, Chen said.
Asked whether they were satisfied with Han as mayor, 59.1 percent of respondents said they were not, while 32.4 percent said that they were.
Asked to grade Han’s performance on a scale of zero to 10, 30 percent of respondents gave a grade of zero, while the average was 3.5.
Of those who voted for Han in the 2018 mayoral election, 28 percent said that they regretted having done so.
Should Han’s recall be put to a vote, 59.5 percent of respondents said they would vote in favor of recalling the mayor, while 34.5 percent said they would vote against a recall.
If the COVID-19 pandemic does not worsen, 60.5 percent of city residents are likely to participate in a recall vote and there would likely be more than 1 million votes in favor of a recall, Wu said.
If the COVID-19 situation worsens, there would be an estimated 48.7 percent voter turnout and an estimated 866,330 votes in favor of a recall, which would still meet the threshold, he said.
A turnout of 30 percent is likely all that would be needed to recall Han, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said.
If a vote takes place, it is likely that Han would become the nation’s first local government head to be recalled, he said.
The survey, conducted on Thursday and Friday last week, collected 1,072 valid samples. It had a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS