Senior DPP legislative caucus officials step down after recall defeat

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus whip Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said Sunday she will step down from her post, while caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) made a similar announcement.

The announcements came one day after the second stage of a mass recall campaign, initiated by civil groups with the support of the DPP, which sought to remove opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers from office, failed in seven out of seven seats.

After failing to remove any of the 31 directly elected KMT legislators targeted in the two-stage recall votes, Wu said on social media that the ruling team must reflect internally and implement tangible changes that meet public expectations.

Wu added that the DPP legislative caucus needs to expand participation, restructure its team, improve internal coordination, and strengthen external communication -- key measures to enhance its overall effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Chen said on social media that she will step down as caucus secretary-general, while continuing to work on public issues and defend Taiwan's democracy and freedom.

Deputy caucus secretary-generals Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) and Kuo Yu-ching (郭昱晴) also made similar announcements.

In response, DPP legislative chief convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that every battle against a numerically stronger opposition is challenging, emphasizing that "everyone must stay united and remain determined."