Competing rallies planned ahead of KMT recall votes Saturday

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) As the recall campaign against opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers enters its final stage, parties for and against the recall votes are set to hold competing rallies on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei as a final push before the polls open on Saturday.

With only four days remaining until a first wave of recall votes targeting 24 KMT lawmakers, recall groups which called on people to "oppose the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)" and "safeguard Taiwan" scheduled a big rally on Thursday.

The "Oppose CCP, Safeguard Taiwan Alliance" said Tuesday that the rally will feature tech mogul Robert Tsao (曹興誠), film director Wang Shaudi (王小棣), writer Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子), actor Akio Chen (陳慕義) and rock band Fire Ex (滅火器樂團).

The group added that a livestreamed rally will be held Friday night on Jinan Road as a final push ahead of the polls.

Meanwhile, the KMT is set to hold a rally Friday night on Ketagalan Boulevard, calling on people to vote "no" and reject the "retaliatory" votes incited by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Several KMT heavyweights are scheduled to appear at the event, including KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Broadcasting Corporation of China Chairman Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康), Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), and former National Taiwan University President Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔).

Influencer Holger Chen (陳之漢) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) are also set to voice their support at the rally.

Separately, KMT chair Chu on Tuesday criticized Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), DPP legislative caucus whip, for having a "dictatorial mindset."

"I've waited 60 years for this moment to bring down the KMT," Ker wrote Monday in a social media post. "Remove the malignant tumors on July 26. I hope the mass recalls are a massive success and [the DPP] eventually wins a majority in the legislature," Ker wrote.

In response, Chu said the KMT has never attempted to eliminate any opposing political party because it recognizes the competitive relationships between political parties in a democracy.

While transitions of political power often occur, Ker probably has a deeply ingrained dictatorial mindset for wanting to eliminate the KMT and eliminate opposition parties for 60 years. Chu said.

"This is why mass recalls launched with this mindset will he loathed by the people," he said, adding that genuine supporters of the KMT and the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) will never support these "egregious" recall votes.

In the Legislative elections held on Jan. 13, 2004, the KMT won 52 seats, the DPP 51 and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 8, with the two remaining seats in the 113-seat Legislature going to KMT-leaning independents.

According to Central Election Commission data, recall petitions have been filed against 35 of the 39 directly elected KMT lawmakers. Of those, 31 have passed the signature threshold, with recall votes scheduled for 24 lawmakers this Saturday and seven others on Aug. 23.