Taiwan's 'Right to Recall' Vote: A Case Study in Direct Democracy
UPSC Relevance
International Relations (Taiwan's political system, China-Taiwan relations).
Indian Polity (Comparison of constitutional features, concepts like 'Right to Recall').
Key Highlights from the News
In Taiwan, the attempt to recall vote 24 legislators from the opposition Kuomintang - KMT party failed in the first stage.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party - DPP and the popular movement Bluebird Movement are behind this.
The main allegations are that opposition MPs are endangering national security by colluding with China and passing unconstitutional laws.
According to Taiwan's Taiwan Public Officials Election and Recall Act, recalling an elected representative requires the support of at least 25% of the voters in the constituency.
Taiwan's "divided government" is the cause of this political crisis. The President belongs to the ruling party, while the opposition has a majority in the legislature.
The article states that this recall attempt has increased polarisation in Taiwanese politics.
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