TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Shi-chien (王世堅) came under fire Wednesday after publicly opposing his party’s ongoing recall campaign and calling for legislative caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) to take responsibility for the campaign’s recent failure.
Speaking at the DPP’s Central Standing Committee meeting, Wang urged the party to reconsider its push for the Aug. 23 recall elections and instead seek negotiations with the opposition, per ETtoday. Wang has opposed the recall strategy since early 2024 and warned the party not to repeat the mistakes that led to defeat in Saturday’s recall votes.
President and DPP Chair Lai Ching-te (賴清德), however, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the campaign during the meeting, per Newtalk. Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) and committee member Chen Mao-sung (陳茂松) backed Lai’s stance, citing the need to resist what they called unconstitutional proposals from the opposition.
While Wang praised his party’s unity, he warned that continued pursuit of a failed strategy would further weaken public support. His comments were quickly condemned by fellow DPP lawmakers.
Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) posted on Threads that any member who cannot follow the chair’s leadership should leave the party, per Mirror Media. Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) called Wang’s comments harmful to party unity and dismissive of the efforts pro-recall groups have invested.
DPP insiders told UDN the party intends to apply lessons from the first recall round to the Aug. 23 vote and the 2026 general elections. They added that Wang’s opposition runs counter to the party line and that if he refuses to cooperate, he should consider stepping down.
A source aligned with the faction of former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that while the recall losses were disappointing, the party will continue supporting grassroots recall groups, per UDN. The source also clarified that Wang’s position reflects his personal view and not the stance of Tsai’s faction.
Faction insiders noted that DPP unity remains intact for now because it is not yet the right moment for internal dissent. However, they warned that if Lai’s recall strategy fails again on Aug. 23, the fallout could go beyond a single resignation.
Still, some in the party urged tolerance for differing views. DPP Hualien County Councilor Chang Mei-hui (張美慧) called for greater openness to internal debate. Presidential Senior Advisor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) also weighed in, urging all political leaders to work together to end the current legislative impasse, per UP Media.
