Taipei: Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC) has demanded an explanation from local authorities in Hualien County after personnel from the county's Household Registration Office allegedly broke the law by visiting the residences of voters who lawfully engaged in recall vote activism.
According to Focus Taiwan, the CEC stated that the Hualien County Election Committee is authorized to collaborate with the county's Household Registration Office to verify the signatures of individuals who have signed recall vote proposals by post, in accordance with the "Regulations for Collecting and Checking Joint Signatures for the Recall Proposal of Civil Servants." However, any visits by local government personnel to the residences of signatories would be considered illegal, prompting the CEC to call for an explanation from the Hualien County Election Committee regarding the handling of the recall vote proposal list.
Fu Kun-chi, a Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker representing Hualien County, may face an election recall vote after campaigners submitted the recall vote proposal - which includes the names, addresses, and signatures of at least 1 percent of voters in Hualien - to the central election authority in Taipei on Monday. The campaigners aim to remove their representative in the Legislative Yuan through provisions in Taiwan's Public Officials Election and Recall Act. This act stipulates that lawmakers shall be removed from office if more than half of at least 25 percent of eligible voters in their electoral district cast ballots in favor of a recall, and if the ballots in favor of the recall outnumber those opposing it.
Hu Jen-shun, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) county councilor, reported receiving complaints from residents who felt intimidated by visits from Household Registration Office personnel. Hu, writing on Facebook, expressed that these actions could represent a significant infringement on citizens' rights and urged civil servants not to assist Fu Kun-chi in any illegal activities.
The director of the Hualien County Election Committee, Wu Chun-yi, responded that the official photographed visiting residents' houses was "investigating household registration information" and not inquiring about signatures on the recall vote proposal. Fu, serving as the main opposition Kuomintang's legislative caucus whip, is among several high-profile figures facing recall vote proposals initiated by campaign groups across Taiwan.
According to the CEC website, once the signatures on a recall vote proposal have been validated, campaigners must collect signatures from at least 10 percent of eligible voters within 60 days before a recall vote may proceed.
