Taiwan’s feuding political parties raise the stakes with rival recall bids

Tensions between Taiwan’s political parties are escalating as both camps launch rival recall campaigns, further threatening the island’s fragile political stability.

Analysts warn that if these tensions remain unresolved, they could deal a double blow to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is already struggling to govern and deal with increasing military pressure from Beijing.

Despite Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s calls for political harmony, civic groups backed by the DPP and the opposition coalition of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have been gathering signatures for recall petitions during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Their efforts are expected to accelerate once people return to work on Monday, with both sides vowing to unseat each other’s lawmakers in a row over the opposition’s recent budget cuts.

On January 21, the opposition-dominated legislature approved a reduced government budget of NT$2.9 trillion (US$88.2 billion), cutting NT$207.5 billion – around 7 per cent of the original proposal – and freezing an additional NT$160.7 billion in spending.

Fearing the cuts will disrupt government operations, both Lai and his cabinet chief, Cho Jung-tai, have expressed deep concern, pledging to push for a legislative review of the reductions when work resumes on Monday.

The cuts also prompted DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming to renew calls for a mass recall campaign against opposition lawmakers.

  

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