TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) on Sunday urged party members to mobilize for the upcoming July 26 recall elections, warning that low voter turnout could put the party’s legislative seats at risk.
Speaking at KMT headquarters in Taipei, Chu characterized the recalls as a DPP effort to shift the balance of power in the Legislative Yuan and weaken the opposition’s oversight capabilities, per Newtalk. He also appealed directly to Taiwan’s Hakka communities, urging them to oppose the recalls and describing the Hakka spirit as one rooted in standing up for justice.
Former Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) on Saturday projected that the KMT could lose up to 10 legislative seats in a worst-case scenario, per Tai Sounds. He based the estimate on polling data showing a projected 60% turnout rate among KMT supporters, compared with 90% among those backing the DPP.
KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) echoed Jiang’s concerns, citing voter turnout as a deciding factor in his Daan District, per Tai Sounds. He emphasized that abstaining from voting could be interpreted as support for the recalls.
Political commentator Huang Yang-ming (黃揚明) noted that KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), who represents a traditionally safe district, has begun running campaign advertisements, per Storm Media. Huang said the move may signal concern within the party.
Huang also suggested that a successful recall campaign would be a major political victory for President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). Conversely, he pointed out that a failed campaign could undermine Lai’s legitimacy.
On Monday, DPP legislative caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said his party could gain a legislative majority as a result of the recall elections, per Tai Sounds. He accused the KMT of using a proposed tax rebate to influence voters and claimed that the legislators facing recall had acted against Taiwan’s national interests, per UDN.
Ker also asserted that the DPP’s current strategy had been set following the 2024 general election, when the party decided to no longer pursue cooperation with the TPP, per Newtalk.
