4 KMT Staff, 1 Activist Charged for Recall Vote Forgeries in Taipei

Taipei: Five individuals affiliated with the Kuomintang (KMT), including senior staff from the party's Taipei branch, were indicted Monday for allegedly forging thousands of signatures in a campaign to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. According to Focus Taiwan, a news release issued by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office revealed that those indicted include KMT Taipei branch chief Huang Lu Chin-ru, Secretary-General Chu Wen-ching, and Secretary Yao Fu-wen. Prosecutors stated that these three fabricated 5,211 signature forms, with 2,537 related to the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi and 2,674 related to DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao, exhibiting forgery rates of 96 percent and 94 percent, respectively. The three suspects are currently in detention and will be transferred to the Taipei District Court on Tuesday, as reported by the office. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office has requested heavy sentences, citing a lack of remorse and the defendants' role in "undermining the country 's democratic foundations." In addition, prosecutors indicted Lai Yi-jen, identified as the organizer of the campaign to recall Wu Szu-yao, and Chen Kuei-hsun, an executive at the KMT's fourth district office in Taipei City. Meanwhile, 15 other KMT staffers and volunteers admitted guilt and were granted deferred prosecution, including Man Chih-kang, Liu Ssu-yin, Lin Jui, and Yeh Li-chin. Prosecutors declined to indict a number of other individuals, including KMT Taipei City Councilor Chang Szu-kang and recall voter campaigners Lee Hsiao-liang and Chang Ko-chin. The investigation began after reports indicated that recall vote campaign groups targeting Wu Szu-yao and Wu Pei-yi had submitted forged proposer forms, leading to a series of investigative actions from April 14. Huang, Chu, and Yao were detained and held incommunicado under court authority shortly thereafter. The office stated that the three "fabricated large volumes of name lists in a short period to advance political aims" rather than lawfully co llecting signatures. Under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, Taiwanese voters can attempt to recall district-elected lawmakers by collecting signatures from local residents and submitting joint-signature petitions to the Central Election Commission (CEC). If a sufficient number of valid signatures are submitted-at least 1 percent of the total number of eligible voters in the district in the first petition round, and then at least 10 percent in the second round-the elected official will face a public recall vote, according to the CEC. Taiwan is currently experiencing unprecedented mass recall vote campaigns, with supporters of both the DPP and KMT attempting to unseat lawmakers from the opposing political party. The prosecutions in Taipei on Monday are part of several judicial actions across Taiwan concerning alleged irregularities in recall vote campaigns, with KMT members and party-associated activists also accused of forging signatures in New Taipei, Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and other reg ions.