Suspended Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an survives recall vote

Taipei, July 26 (CNA) Suspended Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安), also known as Ann Kao, got a brief respite Saturday from her legal entanglements, surviving a recall vote as more people voted against her recall than for it.

"Over the past few weeks, I saw all the members of our team stand on the streets and on corners only wanting to make citizens understand the true essence of this recall vote," Kao, a former member of the opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP), said at a press conference.

"To fend off the recall vote against the Hsinchu mayor is to secure the stability and direction of Hsinchu City's development.

"Because of you, I feel that I'm definitely not alone," said Kao, who is currently appealing a sentence of seven years and four months after being found guilty of corruption charges in July 2024. She was suspended as Hsinchu mayor soon after.

As of 7:15 p.m., with 335 of 356 polling stations reporting, 116,263 had been cast against recalling Kao versus 80,814 in favor.

The votes in favor were unlikely to meet the 90,078 votes needed to meet one of the key recall thresholds, that 25 percent of votes support the recall motion.

● DPP acknowledges failure of mass recall campaign

The recall campaign against Kao was initiated by Tai Chen-feng (戴振鋒), a legislative aide to ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), who had referred to the initiative as a "civic movement."

Kao's survival on Saturday means the DPP will not be able to take hold of the city.

Had the recall succeeded, the Cabinet would have appointed an acting mayor because Kao has less than half of her four-year term remaining, which would have allowed the central government under President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to take control of the city administration.

At 41, Kao represents one of the TPP's most high-profile rising stars.

In November 2022, she won the Hsinchu mayoral race at age 38, becoming the youngest person ever elected to lead a city and the city's first female mayor.

She was also the first municipal leader from the TPP, which was not founded until August 2019 with the goal of breaking the traditional two-party dominance of the DPP and KMT.

Kao was previously one of the TPP's five at-large lawmakers, part of a wave that saw the party rise to become Taiwan's third-largest in 2020, supplanting the New Power Party. She resigned from her legislative seat shortly before taking office as mayor.

● Attempt to recall KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi fails

Holding a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati, Kao is known for her ties to Foxconn, the Taiwan-based iPhone assembler and AI server manufacturer.

In 2020, she joined the TPP's at-large lawmaker list at the recommendation of Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), marking her formal entry into politics.

During her mayoral campaign, KMT candidate Lin Ken-jeng (林耕仁) filed a complaint alleging that Kao had falsified salary reports for her legislative assistants and exploited them.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office subsequently indicted her on related charges, including corruption and document forgery.

On July 26, 2024 -- exactly one year before her recall -- the Taipei District Court ruled that Kao had illicitly obtained NT$460,030 (US$15,610). She was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison and deprived of her civil rights for four years.

She announced her withdrawal from the TPP later that day.