Two dozen Taiwan opposition lawmakers to face recall votes

TAIPEI: Two dozen Taiwanese opposition lawmakers and a mayor will face recall votes next month, election authorities said Friday, in ballots that could shift the balance of power in the island's parliament to the ruling party.Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has seen his first year in the top job engulfed in domestic political turmoil as opposition parties, which control the parliament, seek to stymie his agenda.But his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) only needs to win six seats to wrest back control of the legislature from the Kuomintang (KMT) party and its ally the Taiwan People's Party (TPP).DPP supporters are seeking to unseat dozens of opposition lawmakers and one mayor through a process allowing the public to oust elected officials before the end of their term.Taiwan's central election commission said Friday that petitions against 24 KMT lawmakers and Hsinchu city mayor Ann Kao met the second and final threshold to proceed to a vote.Recall votes will be held on July 26, it said in a statement.Kao, formerly a TPP member, was suspended as mayor after she was convicted of corruption last year. She has appealed the ruling.At a recall campaign event Thursday, DPP Secretary General Lin Yu-chang urged voters to unseat what he called "pro-China" KMT lawmakers who "weaken national security and hollow out Taiwan".

China insists self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory and has ramped up military and political pressure on the island in recent years.Taipei also accuses Beijing of using espionage, cyberattacks and disinformation to weaken its defences.The KMT urged its supporters on Friday to "defend democracy" and "vote 'no' to the recall to restore order".A rival campaign to unseat a dozen DPP members has been embroiled in controversy after KMT staffers were accused of forging the signatures of dead people.Those petitions either failed to collect enough signatures to meet the requirements or are still ongoing.