Taipei – Taiwanese voters turned out at schools, temples and community centers on Saturday to cast their ballots in a high-stakes recall election that could give President Lai Ching-te’s party control of the parliament.
Civic groups backed by Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are seeking to unseat 31 lawmakers belonging to the main opposition Kuomintang party, who they accuse of being pro-China and a threat to the democratic island’s security.
The KMT, which wants closer ties with Beijing, controls parliament with the help of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and has slammed the unprecedented recall effort as a DPP power grab.
Polling stations opened around Taiwan at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) with 24 KMT lawmakers facing potential recall. Elections for another seven KMT lawmakers will be held on August 23.
In the capital Taipei, people queued in school hallways and temples. AFP saw an elderly man arrive at a primary school in an ambulance, which had brought him from hospital so he could vote.
Public opinion is split over the recalls, which have dominated newspaper headlines and social media feeds for months.
“I am not satisfied with their job performance,” said retired doctor Jeremy Chen, 54, adding he was “also worried about the pro-China stance of some lawmakers.”
But a 46-year-old man surnamed Lee told AFP the lawmakers had not “committed any crimes” and the DPP wanted to control parliament for “it’s one-party dominance.”
“This is not democracy,” Lee said, after voting against the recall.
Both major parties held rain-soaked rallies in recent days to urge supporters to take part in the critical election, which could upend the balance of power in parliament and fuel tensions with China.
Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty and detested by Beijing, won the presidential election in 2024. But his DPP party lost its majority in the legislature.
Since then, the KMT and TPP have joined forces to stymie Lai’s agenda, and slashed or frozen parts of the government’s budget.
Contentious opposition bills, including an attempt to expand parliament’s powers, sparked brawls in the legislature and massive street protests.
The DPP needs a minimum of 12 KMT lawmakers recalled to gain temporary control of the parliament, with risk analysis firm Eurasia Group giving that outcome “a 60 percent probability.”
Lai’s party would then need to flip six seats in by-elections later this year to cement its dominance in the parliament — which analysts say would be a formidable challenge.
Recall results will be released Saturday night.
