TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) has been hit by a recall as part of a broader political wave that has swept Taiwan in recent months. 

The movement gained traction in December after lawmakers from the KMT and TPP approved a central government budget that slashed NT$207.5 billion (US$6.35 billion) from the Cabinet’s original proposal.

A citizen group led by a man surnamed Chen (陳) gathered the required 2,500 signatures for the recall before Lunar New Year and submitted them to the Central Election Commission. The CEC has forwarded the petition to the Chiayi election commission for review, per UDN.

The CEC confirmed that the recall petition had met the first-stage threshold. Wang responded that she respected any democratic process conducted according to the law.

KMT's Chiayi City Branch Chair Tsai Ming-hsien (蔡明顯) said there was no involvement from the KMT in the recall. DPP’s Chiayi City Branch Chair  Huang Ta-yu argued that it would foster a harmful political cycle based on opposition for the sake of opposition.

In response to the budget cut in December, DPP Caucus Leader Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) led efforts to recall 41 KMT legislators. Meanwhile, KMT supporters launched counter-recalls against four DPP lawmakers in KMT-leaning districts.