Taipei, July 8 — Chaos gripped Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan on Monday as physical altercations broke out among lawmakers over proposed amendments to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act. The amendments, aimed at tightening the criteria for recalling elected officials, sparked heated clashes between supporters and opponents within the legislature.
Before the scheduled review of the amendments, lawmakers aligned with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) seized control of the meeting podium in a move to obstruct the proceedings proposed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT).
Tensions escalated swiftly as DPP legislators occupied the podium, prompting a confrontation with their KMT counterparts. DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin alleged that she was struck multiple times by KMT lawmaker Wang Hung-wei, resulting in injuries and a claim of intent to pursue legal action.
In response, Wang accused DPP members of instigating the violence, citing physical aggression from several legislators, including kicks and assaults during the altercation. The situation deteriorated further with accusations of vandalism and obstruction of legislative processes.
The KMT, advocating for stricter thresholds for recall votes, argues that current regulations enable too easy a process for recalling officials. They propose amendments requiring a higher percentage of votes in favor of recall and linking it to the number of votes an official received in their election.
Both parties have also initiated absentee voting proposals for Indigenous voters, aimed at increasing voter participation among those residing in remote areas.
The amendments come amidst a series of recall elections in Taiwan, including the high-profile removal of legislative speaker Han Kuo-yu. These legislative changes have stirred significant debate about the balance between electoral integrity and voter rights in the democratic process.
The Legislative Yuan’s volatile session underscores deep-seated divisions over electoral reform, with implications for future political dynamics in Taiwan.