Showing posts with label #GreatRecall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #GreatRecall. Show all posts

Taiwan's Great Recall - Ep3 - Interview with Chance Hsu, KMT

Welcome to the third installment in our series on Taiwan's Great Recall (大罷免) in which we aim to bring you perspectives from all sides of the debate at this important moment in Taiwan's democratic journey.

As the days count down to July 26th, campaigning by both the pro and anti recall groups in Taiwan is gaining momentum. These recall campaigns are a result of a power struggle between different branches of Taiwan's government - the Legislative Yuan which is controlled by the Chinese Nationalist Party or KMT (中國國民黨) with their smaller ally, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and, the Executive Yuan which is controlled by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (民主進步黨).

In the last election back in January of 2024, the KMT won 52 seats in the Legislative Yuan and combined with the 8 seats of the smaller Taiwan People's Party as well as two independents, they command a clear majority over the DPP who currently hold 51 seats.

The KMT and the TPP have, according to critics, used this majority to assert and boost legislative power, and have sought to bock the ruling party's agenda, freeze or cut budgets, undermine Taiwan's constitutional order and weaken efforts to bolster defense capabilities against growing Chinese military threats.

Civil society recall groups also express concerns with KMT lawmakers' frequent visits to China and meetings with senior officials in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while the parliament was in session. They accuse the KMT of collision with the CCP with some like UMC founder and chip tycoon, Robert Tsao going so far as to say that "Beijing wants to use the KMT to annex Taiwan" and calling the KMT "China's Trojan Horse" - that's according to a report by new outlet Nikkei Asia (see link below).

In this third episode in our series on Taiwan's Great Recall, we speak with Chance Hsu (須予謙) who is the Assistant Director of International Affairs for the KMT. We sat down with him in Taipei in early July to hear the party's official response to these recalls and understand why the KMT think they are politically motivated. We also wanted to hear the KMT's response to the concerns raised by civic groups, talk about their controversial budget cuts and discuss the party's connections with China.

Date of Recording: July 1st, 2025.

Post Interview Update: Taiwan's Central Election Commission announced on July 2nd that recalls for two more KMT lawmakers will take place on August 23rd. This brings the total to 26 KMT lawmakers now facing potential removal.




KMT Chairman is shown on a stage at Rongxing Garden in Taipei. He is flanked by two party colleagues and behind him is a large slogan urging supporters to vote NO in the upcoming recall.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) addresses the crowd at an anti-recall rally in Rongxing Garden (榮星花園) in Taipei on June 22nd, 2025.



DIVE DEEPER:

Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:




#TaiwanPolitics, #TaiwanGreatRecall, #DemocracyInAsia, #KMTvsDPP, #CivicActivism, #Taiwan2025, #PerspectivesWithNeilo, #PwNeiloPodcast, #TaiwanNews, #RecallMovement, #TaiwanCivicGroups, #Geopolitics, #大罷免, #TaiwanRecall, #KMTRecall, #TaiwanDemocracy, #TaiwanLegislativeYuan, #TaiwanPodcast, #July26Recall, #KMTChinaTies

Taiwan's Great Recall - Ep2 - Interview with Jinan Church Civic Group

Welcome to the second installment in our series on Taiwan's Great Recall (大罷免) in which we aim to bring you perspectives from all sides of the debate at this important moment in Taiwan's democratic journey.

As we explained in our first episode, since the last election in January 2024, Taiwan's parliament or Legislative Yuan has been controlled by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) (中國國民黨) and their smaller ally, the Taiwan People's Party who according to opponents have sought to block the ruling party's agenda, freeze or cut budgets, undermine Taiwan's constitutional order and weaken efforts to bolster defense capabilities against growing Chinese military threats.

The KMT insist that they are seeking to strengthen and protect Taiwan's democracy and say these recalls are politically motivated. They accuse the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (民主進步黨) of instigating the recall campaign, of mobilizing civic groups and attempting to use recalls to eliminate the opposition.

On a Friday afternoon in early June, I met up with members of Public Collaborative Tactics (Instagram: @pctbababa), a grassroots pro-recall group based at Jinan Presbyterian Church (濟南教會), just steps away from the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.

I was really interested to find out how the group came together and what motivates their cause. I also wanted to hear their thoughts on the Chinese Nationalist Party or KMT and if they had particular concerns about the party's behavior. I also asked if they had connections with any political parties and how they were funded. But to begin, the group introduced themselves and then told me how they all came together.

Date of Recording: June 13th, 2025.




The picture shows the entrance of Jinan Presbyterian Church in Taipei. Also included in the picture is a banner announcing Taiwan's Great Recall on July 26th (7/26) and a logo of the PCT Group.
Jinan Presbyterian Church in Zhongzheng District, Taipei



DIVE DEEPER:

Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:

  • Jinan Presbyterian Church - website
  • Citizen Congress Watch report (December 2024)

#TaiwanPolitics, #TaiwanGreatRecall, #DemocracyInAsia, #KMTvsDPP, #CivicActivism, #Taiwan2024, #PerspectivesWithNeilo, #PwNeiloPodcast, #TaiwanNews, #RecallMovement, #TaiwanCivicGroups, #JinanChurch, #Geopolitics, #大罷免 #PublicCollaborativeTactics

    Taiwan's Great Recall - Ep1 - Interview with Prof Chen Fang-Yu

    In this episode, we kick off the first part in a series of podcasts on Taiwan's Great Recall (大罷免) in which we aim to bring you perspectives from all sides of the debate at this important crossroads in Taiwan's democratic journey.

    As we explained in our previous episode on President Lai's first year in office, while his party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential vote in January of 2024, they failed to maintain a majority in the Legislative Yuan or parliament. As a result, the parliament has been controlled by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and their smaller ally, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) who according to opponents have sought to block the DPP's agenda, freeze budgets, undermine Taiwan's constitutional order and weaken efforts to bolster defense capabilities against growing Chinese military threats.

    According to a report by Citizen Congress Watch (CCW), a Taiwanese NGO engaged in parliamentary monitoring, in the first session of the current parliament, only a fraction of legislative proposals successfully passed the readings, reflecting low legislative efficiency as a result of the divisive partisan infighting that has taken precedence over advancing policies for public benefit.

    The KMT insist that they are seeking to strengthen and protect Taiwan's democracy and say these recalls are politically motivated. They accuse the ruling DPP of using recalls to eliminate the opposition. However, not all of the electorate would appear to agree and a mass recall effort led by civic groups has been underway for months.

    On June 20th, Taiwan's Election Commission announced a recall vote for 24 KMT lawmakers - that's around one quarter of the parliament's members - all from the main opposition party. The date for the recall has been set for July 26th.

    In this first episode in our series on Taiwan's Great Recall, we talk to Professor Chen Fang-Yu 陳方隅 (X:@FangYu_80168) from the Department of Political Science at Soochow University (東吳大學) in Taipei to understand:

    • The history of recall elections in Taiwan and the recall process,
    • What factors have led to this latest and unprecedented mass recall effort,
    • How Beijing's military pressure on Taiwan and relationship with individual lawmakers are influencing attitudes on the recall
    • Plus much more!

    Date of Recording: June 6th, 2025.





    Picture shows the Republic of China flag and a pro-Taiwan Independence flag flying side by side against a partially cloudy sky at a recall rally in Taipei in April 2025. The crowds at the rally can also be seen in the background.
    Republic of China flag (left) and Taiwan pro-Independence flag (right) appear side by side at a recall rally in Taipei on April 19th, 2025.
    Photo credit - double_lucky_ (Instagram)




    DIVE DEEPER:

    Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:

    • Citizen Congress Watch report (December 2024)



      #TaiwanPolitics, #TaiwanRecall, #GreatRecall2025, #大罷免, #TaiwanDemocracy, #TaiwanElections, #RecallVote, #TaiwanLegislature, #TaiwanParliament, #LaiChingTe, #KMTvsDPP, #TaiwanVotes, #China, #CCP, #KMT, #TrojanHorse, #Geopolitics, #PoliticsPodcast, #TaiwanPodcast, #StandWithTaiwan, #CivicEngagement, #RecallMovement

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