Campaign launched to recall New Taipei mayor after his failed presidential bid

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) A Facebook group that seeks to recall New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) launched a petition drive on Saturday, one week after he lost the presidential election to Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

The group, which currently has 1,800 online members, organized a flash-mob event near Taipei Metro's Xinpu Station on Saturday to gather signatures from citizens in support of advancing their campaign.

While the number of signatures collected was not revealed by the group, the event captured considerable attention, with several participants expressing their frustration toward Hou for taking time off to run for president.

A woman surnamed Chen (陳) who told CNA that she had traveled from Xinzhuang District to Xinpu in Banqiao District to support the group, accused Hou of failing the 1.1 million voters who elected him in 2022.

Hou should not have left his position to run for president, said others. They compared him to former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the KMT, who also ran for president while in office in 2020.

Han was recalled five months after losing to incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

Hou, who inspected a construction project on Saturday, responded to the campaign by apologizing to New Taipei's residents.

"I promise I will redouble my efforts and go all out to ensure the city never stops growing," Hou said, adding that he has refocused his attention on city affairs.

According to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, recalling an elected official is a three-step process in which petitioners must first submit a recall proposal bearing the signatures of 1 percent of voters within the original electoral district.

This is followed by submission of a petition containing the signatures of 10 percent of the voters.

Finally, a poll must be held in which the official is recalled if at least 25 percent of eligible voters in the city cast ballots in favor of recall and a simple majority prevails.