Preliminary results of Taiwan’s unprecedented polls reveal voters have rejected the bid to oust about one-fifth of its lawmakers with alleged close ties with Beijing.
Early trends after one hour of poll counting point to a lead in favour of most of the 24 lawmakers from the opposition Nationalist Party, KMT, Taiwan News reported.
Thousands turned out to cast their votes in ballots across several schools, community centres and temples in Taiwan.
The independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party won last year's presidential election, but the China-friendly Nationalists, also known as the KMT, and the smaller Taiwan People's Party have enough seats to form a majority bloc.
Those who supported removing the 24 lawmakers were angry that the KMT and its allies blocked key legislation, especially the defence budget, and passed controversial changes that are seen as diminishing the power of the executive and favouring China, which considers the island its territory.
The opposition parties' actions sparked concerns among some Taiwanese about the island's democratic integrity and its ability to deter Chinese military threats, leading to the recall campaigns. The scale of the recall elections is unprecedented, with another seven KMT lawmakers facing similar votes on 23 August.
But the KMT alleged the ruling party was resorting to political retaliation after it lost the legislative majority, saying the recalls were undermining and challenging Taiwan's democratic system. The KMT holds 52 seats, while the ruling DPP holds 51 seats. For the DPP to secure a legislative majority, at least six KMT lawmakers would need to be ousted, and the ruling party would need to win all by-elections, which would need to be held within three months following the announcement of results.
For a recall, more than a quarter of eligible voters in the electoral district must have voted in favour of the recall, with the total number of supporters exceeding those against.
The poll closed at 4 pm. local time.
With vote counting still underway, the overall trend is against the recall.
One closely fought campaign centred on KMT Caucus Whip Fu Kun-Chi, who served as Hualien County chief before being elected to the Taiwanese parliament. Early trends suggest he would survive the recall.
The elections have intensified tensions between those backing the status quo and those favouring improved ties with Beijing. Critics accuse China-friendly politicians of compromising Taiwan and take issue with their meetings with mainland Chinese politicians. But these Taiwanese politicians claim their connections are vital for dialogue given Beijing's refusal to interact with the DPP.
When asked about the recall election, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in June that since the administration of Taiwan president Lai Ching-te came into power, it has sought to achieve "one-party dominance" and practiced "dictatorship" under the guise of "democracy", state broadcaster CCTV reported. She was quoted as saying that Mr Lai's government has spared no effort in suppressing opposition parties and those who supported the development of cross-strait relations.
Taiwan's mainland affairs council said Wednesday that the Chinese authorities and state media had tried to blatantly interfere with the vote.
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