Taiwan’s election commission announced on Friday that a recall vote will take place next month for about one-quarter of its lawmakers. All 24 of them belong to the main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). If the recall succeeds, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) may regain control of the legislature.

Currently, the KMT and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) hold the majority in parliament. This shift happened even though Lai Ching-te from the DPP won the presidency last year. His party, however, lost its hold over the legislature.

Opposition in Majority, DPP Supports Recalls

Together, the KMT and TPP control 62 out of 113 seats in the parliament. The DPP holds the remaining 51. Earlier this year, the KMT and TPP passed several policies, including major budget cuts, which sparked anger in the ruling DPP. Though civic groups led the push for the recall petitions, the DPP has fully backed the effort.

The recall votes are scheduled for July 26. In a video released this week, the DPP urged citizens to support the recall and “oppose the communists”—a pointed reference to China. The DPP accuses the opposition of getting too close to Beijing.

KMT Calls Recall Effort “Malicious”

The KMT strongly opposed the recall plan. It criticized the timing, saying the recall comes soon after the January 2024 parliamentary election. In a statement, the KMT said, “The KMT calls on the people of Taiwan to oppose the green communists and fight against dictatorship, and vote ‘no’.” The term "green communists" refers to the DPP’s party color and is used by critics.

The KMT defends its strategy of engagement with China, arguing it helps reduce tensions and keeps diplomatic channels open. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has increased military pressure on the island in recent months.

China Rejects Talks, DPP Recalls Fall Short

Although President Lai has repeatedly invited China for dialogue, Beijing has rejected all offers, calling him a “separatist.”

Interestingly, while campaigns have targeted KMT lawmakers for recall, similar efforts to remove DPP lawmakers failed. These campaigns did not collect enough valid signatures to qualify for a vote.

Voter Turnout Will Be Crucial

For the recall votes to succeed, they must meet two conditions:

1. More people must vote yes than no.

2. The number of yes votes must be more than one-quarter of all registered voters in that constituency.

This means voter turnout will play a major role in deciding the outcome. If voters approve the recalls, by-elections will take place later this year to fill the vacant seats. Taiwan’s next full parliamentary and presidential elections are not scheduled until early 2028.