KMT lawmaker says party may retaliate if DPP launches recall campaigns

Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) A leading Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker has said that her party would oppose any attempts by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to oust her colleagues through recall elections, and suggested that the KMT could retaliate by launching campaigns of its own to recall DPP lawmakers.

KMT Legislative Caucus Deputy Secretary-general Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) told reporters on Sunday that her party faced a "menacing recall wave" instigated by the DPP, but the KMT would "definitely face it head-on."

"The KMT does not rule out the possibility of [attempting to] recall DPP lawmakers in some constituencies," she said, mentioning that DPP legislators including Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤), Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶), Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), and Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) would be "possible targets for retaliatory recall campaigns" by the KMT.

The KMT legislative caucus deputy secretary-general was speaking in response to comments made by DPP Legislative Caucus Whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) the day before.

Ker had said at a press conference that "the 41 district-elected lawmakers from the KMT must be recalled" because they had voted for bills that were either "against the Constitution" or risked "selling out Taiwan."

The senior DPP lawmaker was referring to 39 KMT lawmakers who were elected by voters in their constituencies and two KMT-aligned independents who may be subject to recall votes under the Public Officials Election And Recall Act.

The DPP, however, quickly distanced itself from Ker's proposal, suggesting that any attempt to oust opposition politicians from the Legislature was not official party policy.

DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-general Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said on Saturday afternoon that although Ker's comments represented the feelings of DPP supporters, the party "has not guided or intervened in any recall [attempts]."

The DPP also issued a statement on Saturday afternoon, in which it said the party "has not had any specific discussions about election recall [campaigns]."

KMT lawmakers, including Wang, have accused the DPP of targeting its elected officials by secretly directing non-partisan election recall campaign organizations.

The KMT has openly supported politicians facing election recall campaigns.

In one recent high-profile campaign, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) of the KMT survived a vote to remove him from office in October 2024 after 55 percent of valid votes rejected his recall.