TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) on Wednesday called on the party to continue its recall campaign targeting Kuomintang lawmakers.
Ker said the DPP would shift to a more targeted approach for the seven remaining KMT legislators facing recall on Aug. 23, per Mirror Media. He urged members to follow President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) lead and “save Taiwan.”
Ker, along with Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠), has come under mounting criticism following the DPP’s poor performance in the first round of recall elections held Saturday. A veteran caucus leader known for his behind-the-scenes influence, Ker is under scrutiny for both strategic missteps and public misstatements, per NOWnews.
A DPP insider, noting the party secured only about 40% of the vote in the 2024 legislative elections, criticized its lack of grassroots mobilization ahead of Saturday’s recall vote, per Newtalk. The insider also accused the DPP of relying on anti-CCP sentiment while neglecting economic issues.
Pro-DPP commentator Lin Pao-hua (林保華) blamed Ker for turning the recall campaign into a high-stakes showdown with the KMT, per Liberty Times. Lin said Ker, despite his political acumen, made a strategic error by targeting every eligible KMT legislator rather than focusing on winnable districts.
The same insider pointed to a missed opportunity to counter the KMT’s NT$10,000 (US$333) tax rebate proposal. The Cabinet reportedly explored a response but ultimately backed off, and some party officials have leaked Ker’s opposition to the counterproposal.
Although DPP factions and senior leadership have publicly backed President Lai and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), insiders noted Ker has been notably absent from these expressions of support. Observers believe factions are waiting to see whether Lai will move to replace him.
While some DPP figures blamed the KMT’s rebate plan for Saturday’s loss, political commentator and Formosa Chair Wu Tzu-chia (吳子嘉) dismissed that argument, per NOWnews. Wu said the real danger lies in the Lai administration’s refusal to acknowledge the failure.
Wu added that the use of Tsao, who he called politically unskilled, further damaged the DPP’s credibility, per NOWnews. Commentator Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) echoed Wu’s concerns, warning Lai not to ignore public opinion as the recall effort continues, per ETtoday.
Despite backing from some DPP-aligned figures, Shen was again criticized Tuesday by Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆), who said the DPP’s confrontational strategy had failed and urged the party to seek broader consensus with the opposition, per UP Media.
You argued Shen and Tsao had tied the DPP too closely to the recall campaign, making it responsible for the losses. He criticized Shen for continuing to push the strategy and pulling the party deeper into political risk.
Looking ahead to the Aug. 23 vote, You said that unless there is a major shift in the political landscape, the second round is also likely to fail, per Storm Media. He warned that the DPP’s refusal to acknowledge the strategic error of targeting all available KMT lawmakers could damage the party’s long-term prospects.
