Focus Taiwan App
Download

National Police Agency lays out security measures ahead of recall polls

07/24/2025 10:10 PM
To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below.
NPA Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (second from right) chairs a meeting on measures to ensure a smooth voting process on July 26. CNA photo July 24, 2025
NPA Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (second from right) chairs a meeting on measures to ensure a smooth voting process on July 26. CNA photo July 24, 2025

Taipei, July 24 (CNA) With a wave of recall votes set to be held on Saturday, the National Police Agency (NPA) outlined key measures during a pre-vote security meeting Thursday to ensure public safety and the smooth conduct of the vote.

During the meeting, NPA Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) underscored the need for full police escorts when ballot boxes are transported to and from polling stations, as well as security measures to prevent unrest during the final campaign rallies.

Police have also been instructed to swiftly respond to any incidents related to the recall votes and maintain direct oversight of developing situations, the agency said Thursday in a statement.

At the meeting, Chang also called for heightened vigilance ahead of the July 26 vote, citing the unprecedented scale of the recall effort. Chang himself has been traveling around the country to inspect local police preparedness and crackdowns on electoral violence and vote-buying, the agency said.

Misinformation cases, particularly those spreading online, must be addressed promptly, with disinformation removed and corrected in real time, the agency said. Law enforcement officers will remain on standby during the vote to handle any disruptions, working closely with electoral commissioners and prosecutors, it said.

With 5,947 polling stations set up across the country, police have completed security assessments and will deploy 15,000 officers and nearly 6,000 civilian volunteers on the day of the vote. These personnel will work to maintain order during and after the polls and ensure minimal traffic congestion, it said.

Following the vote, authorities will continue to secure polling venues, election offices, government buildings, and judicial institutions to deter post-poll protests or unrest, the agency added.

Meanwhile, braving the rain, tens of thousands of supporters of Saturday's recall votes -- targeting 24 opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安)-- gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard Thursday night at a pre-poll rally.

A pre-election rally in support of recalling KMT lawmakers is held on Thursday night. CNA photo July 24, 2025
A pre-election rally in support of recalling KMT lawmakers is held on Thursday night. CNA photo July 24, 2025
Supporters gather at a pro-recall rally in Taipei on Thursday. CNA photo July 24, 2025
Supporters gather at a pro-recall rally in Taipei on Thursday. CNA photo July 24, 2025

Several special guests took to the stage to give short speeches, including tech mogul Robert Tsao (曹興誠), film director Wang Shaudi (王小棣), writer Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子), and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋).

The event also featured performances by Golden Melody Award winners Hsieh Ming-yu (謝銘祐) and rock band Fire Ex. (滅火器).

In an unprecedented move, civic groups have launched mass recall votes targeting 31 KMT lawmakers and Kao, who has been indicted on corruption charges.

The recall campaigners against the KMT lawmakers have cited budget cuts and freezes in January spearheaded by the KMT, and legislative reform bills the opposition pushed through in 2024, suggesting they represented an undue expansion of lawmakers' rights that could lead to infringements on personal freedoms.

Earlier in the day, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) campaigned in separate vehicles to lobby support for KMT lawmaker Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), one of the lawmakers facing a recall vote, in Taipei.

Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (third from right) urges voters to reject recall efforts targeting KMT lawmakers. CNA photo July 24, 2025
Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (third from right) urges voters to reject recall efforts targeting KMT lawmakers. CNA photo July 24, 2025
KMT lawmaker Wang Hung-wei (third from right) urges supporters to vote “No” in Saturday’s recall polls. CNA photo July 24, 2025
KMT lawmaker Wang Hung-wei (third from right) urges supporters to vote “No” in Saturday’s recall polls. CNA photo July 24, 2025

On the DPP camp, 12 lawmakers and 11 Taipei City councilors canvassed for "yes" votes in front of National Taiwan University and in other parts of the capital, calling on people to "help the legislature return to normal."

Meanwhile, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Wednesday that she would be casting her ballot.

In a social media post, Tsai wrote: "As a citizen, I will vote on July 26 to show my appreciation for the efforts of civic groups" who initiated the recall votes. Their actions, she added, have proven that democracy in Taiwan is not just an empty slogan, but something that is practiced by the people in everyday life.

(By Huang Li-yun, Yeh Su-ping and Sean Lin)

Enditem/AW

    0:00
    /
    0:00
    We value your privacy.
    Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy.
    13