Taiwan’s Mass Recall to Take Place on 26th – Han Kuo-yu Warns Democracy Could Turn Into a Monster

The first round of Taiwan’s mass recall vote will be held on the 26th. Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu warned that Taiwan's democratic politics could become 'monsters and demons', and called on people to cherish democracy.

The KMT legislative caucus held a press conference early on the 25th in front of the Legislative Yuan chamber, urging people to come out on the 26th to vote 'no' to the recall. Speaker Han Kuo-yu and Vice Speaker Chiang Chi-chen rarely appeared together with all the KMT legislators at the press conference.

Han Kuo-yu said that those who hold power can easily go down the path of corruption. Therefore, sages and wise men throughout history, both ancient and modern, designed the most fundamental principle of democratic politics: power must be checked and balanced. He said that if all 31 KMT legislators standing beside him were to be recalled, Taiwan's democratic politics would become monsters and demons. He therefore called on all Taiwanese people to go out and vote tomorrow, hoping that everyone would keep their eyes open and jointly safeguard democracy.

Han also noted that, although there will be heavy wind and rain tomorrow, he urges everyone to come out rain or shine to protect democracy, so that all the people of Taiwan can come together to safeguard the island's democracy and oppose an unfair and unjust mass recall.

This event was organized by the KMT, and both KMT (blue) and TPP (white) heavyweights gathered to support it. The 24 KMT legislators being targeted for recall and the suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao all participated, creating a sense of united opposition among the opposition parties against the recall.

The largest-scale recall vote in Taiwan’s history will be held in two rounds: July 26 will be the voting day for the recall case of 24 KMT legislators and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao, while August 23 will be for another 7 KMT legislators.

In the face of the two waves of 'mass recall', a total of 31 legislators are targeted, all of them KMT. They account for more than a quarter of the current seats in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. The voting outcome may alter the political landscape of the Yuan and have an impact on the arrangements for the 2026 nine-in-one local elections.

The Legislative Yuan currently has 113 seats, with the KMT holding 52 seats as the largest party, the DPP 51 seats as the second, the TPP with 8 seats considered the 'key minority', and two independents.

After the 2024 election, although the DPP won the presidency, it failed to take a majority in the legislature, putting President Lai Ching-te in a situation where he cannot 'fully govern', with 'a small ruling party and a large opposition'.

If, in this vote, 6 KMT legislators were successfully recalled and the DPP won all by-elections, the pan-green camp could seize a majority of 57 seats in the Legislative Yuan; if between 1 and 6 recalls succeed and the DPP wins the by-elections, while the DPP may still fall short of an outright majority, it would nevertheless overtake the KMT and reverse the situation to become the largest party in the legislature.