(Taiwan, 24th) The Kuosan Nuclear Power Plant Referendum and the Kuomintang (KMT) legislators' recall vote, both held on August 23 in Taiwan, failed to pass. Multiple major Japanese media have reported on the matter. Focusing on the fact that, in two rounds of recall, no KMT legislator was ousted, some Japanese outlets believe that the difficulties for President Lai Ching-te's administration persist.
In the first round of the July 26 mass recall, recall votes for 24 KMT legislators and 1 Taiwan People's Party (TPP) mayor all failed. The second round, held on August 23, saw all 7 KMT legislators' recall cases rejected as well.
The current Legislative Yuan in Taiwan has a total of 113 seats. The KMT holds 52 seats as the largest party, the ruling DPP has 51 seats, the TPP holds 8 decisive seats, and there are also 2 independents.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported under the headline "All Recall Attempts for Taiwanese Opposition Lawmakers Fail—Stalemate Unbroken, Government’s Difficulties Persist," mentioning that with the July 26 votes against 24 legislators, a total of 31 recall cases have all failed.
The report noted that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by President Lai Ching-te, needs only 6 more seats in the legislature for a majority, but this unprecedented large-scale recall initiative failed to break the stalemate. The opposition's resistance this year has led to significant cuts and freezes in the government budget, presenting continued severe challenges for the administration.
Analysts attributed the setback to President Lai Ching-te’s focus on the complex cross-strait situation rather than greater attention to livelihood issues, causing voter fatigue. Observers had widely expected the outcome of the second wave of recall votes, and none of the major political parties actively mobilized supporters this time.
On the evening of the 23rd, Lai Ching-te said that for any shortcomings in government administration, the executive team would constantly self-reflect and would make four key adjustments, including launching necessary cabinet reshuffles and adjusting Executive-Legislative interactions.
Lai stated he has been in office for a year and three months, and that for areas of administrative insufficiency, the executive team would always conduct self-examination and must make adjustments and changes.
Lai also observed that the day marked the 67th anniversary of the 823 Battle Victory, noting that the military and civilians of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu once joined forces to defend Kinmen and Taiwan. ‘Today's challenges are different, but the solidarity needed is the same. Only through unity can we protect the country and ensure our precious democracy and freedom.’
Additionally, the referendum held on the same day regarding the restart of Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 did not reach the approval threshold.
The DPP opposes restarting the No. 3 nuclear plant unless safety is guaranteed and nuclear waste disposal is resolved, while the main opposition KMT supports its restart, advocating that nuclear power is necessary for energy security.
After the referendum results were revealed, Lai Ching-te said he respects the outcome, 'and I fully understand society's expectation for diversified energy choices.'
In the first round of the July 26 mass recall, recall votes for 24 KMT legislators and 1 Taiwan People's Party (TPP) mayor all failed. The second round, held on August 23, saw all 7 KMT legislators' recall cases rejected as well.
The current Legislative Yuan in Taiwan has a total of 113 seats. The KMT holds 52 seats as the largest party, the ruling DPP has 51 seats, the TPP holds 8 decisive seats, and there are also 2 independents.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported under the headline "All Recall Attempts for Taiwanese Opposition Lawmakers Fail—Stalemate Unbroken, Government’s Difficulties Persist," mentioning that with the July 26 votes against 24 legislators, a total of 31 recall cases have all failed.
The report noted that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by President Lai Ching-te, needs only 6 more seats in the legislature for a majority, but this unprecedented large-scale recall initiative failed to break the stalemate. The opposition's resistance this year has led to significant cuts and freezes in the government budget, presenting continued severe challenges for the administration.
Analysts attributed the setback to President Lai Ching-te’s focus on the complex cross-strait situation rather than greater attention to livelihood issues, causing voter fatigue. Observers had widely expected the outcome of the second wave of recall votes, and none of the major political parties actively mobilized supporters this time.
On the evening of the 23rd, Lai Ching-te said that for any shortcomings in government administration, the executive team would constantly self-reflect and would make four key adjustments, including launching necessary cabinet reshuffles and adjusting Executive-Legislative interactions.
Lai stated he has been in office for a year and three months, and that for areas of administrative insufficiency, the executive team would always conduct self-examination and must make adjustments and changes.
Lai also observed that the day marked the 67th anniversary of the 823 Battle Victory, noting that the military and civilians of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu once joined forces to defend Kinmen and Taiwan. ‘Today's challenges are different, but the solidarity needed is the same. Only through unity can we protect the country and ensure our precious democracy and freedom.’
Additionally, the referendum held on the same day regarding the restart of Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 did not reach the approval threshold.
The DPP opposes restarting the No. 3 nuclear plant unless safety is guaranteed and nuclear waste disposal is resolved, while the main opposition KMT supports its restart, advocating that nuclear power is necessary for energy security.
After the referendum results were revealed, Lai Ching-te said he respects the outcome, 'and I fully understand society's expectation for diversified energy choices.'