Taiwan Rejects Recall of 24 Opposition Lawmakers

Taiwanese voters have decisively rejected a recall effort aimed at unseating 24 opposition lawmakers from the Kuomintang (KMT), maintaining the existing parliamentary balance of power. The recall initiative, driven by supporters of President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), sought to remove KMT lawmakers accused of being too close to Beijing amid heightened tensions with China. Despite the DPP's presidential victory, it lacks a parliamentary majority, while the KMT and its allies hold a slim majority, sustaining a political deadlock that complicates governance and policy-making. The failure of the recall vote underscores the strength of KMT support in their districts and signals ongoing legislative resistance to the DPP's agenda, especially on defense and sovereignty issues. Political analysts suggest that President Lai will need to find alternative strategies to advance his policies given the entrenched opposition. The results also highlight Taiwan's vibrant democratic process amid external pressures from China, which claims the island as its territory and opposes the DPP's pro-sovereignty stance.