If you, like the rest of Taipei, were in Daan Park enjoying the beautiful weather over the weekend, you might have caught sight of protesters with signs calling for the recall of KMT legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) under the slogan “Reboot Daan” (which is a pretty clever English pun to use).

This close-up below shows more details:

大安強強滾
罷免羅智強！
羅智強 烙跑路上？
強強滾 連署路上！

Daan’s strongman has to go
Recall Lo Chih-chiang!
Lo Chih-chiang running wild in the streets?
The strongman should go, recall petition on the streets!

The use of the term 「烙跑」 (run off) seems to have several meanings according to what I could find online, refers to the idea that Lo has attempted to abandon voters who voted for him by pursuing his ambitions for greater posts four times after being elected, but was prevented from doing so by the KMT. Miao Po-ya posted a short video on this a while back as below:

There also seems to be a recent controversy over his questioning of officials, where he asked a whole load of questions and then ran off before properly discussing the answers, although he states that he did this because he was registered for several different sessions.

What’s interesting about these recall petitions, is that they seem to be primarily directed at “real blue” voters, i.e. traditional KMT voters, and suggest that KMT politicians like Lo are colluding with the People’s Republic of China and thereby betraying Chiang Kai-Shek’s legacy.

My area is also holding protests to publicize the recall petition of legislator Lai Shyh-bao, and residents woke up recently to this leaflet in the letterboxes:

On April 27, 2024 KMT elected representatives
met with Wang Huning (PRC Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) without authorization
KMT legislators happily took a group photo in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People
The people didn’t give you the license to negotiate with the Chinese Communist Party!

Chiang Ching-kuo: no negotiation, no compromise and no contact with the Chinese communists!
The recall is to suppress the (communist) bandits.
Recall the constitution-destroying, bad-policy making commie-licking legislators!
Anti-communism is a rising tide in the world
Wise blue policy will resonate with the citizenry!

Scan the QR code, to get rid of Lai from Wenshan!

The back of the leaflet opens with a quote from Plato:

“One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Then we get a list of four reasons to get rid of Lai:

1. Seasoned legislator: Lai Shyh-bao has been a legislator for over 20 years, in which time transportation in the Wenshan District hasn’t improved, electric cables haven’t been put underground, and Wenshan has been mocked as the countryside!! He’s ignored southern Zhongzheng District, and doesn’t care about the changes affecting local businesses.
2. Quick to get on board with the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures, but Wenshan loses out: Lai Shyh-bao was falling over himself to sign the controversial Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures! He assisted the Taipei City Government in plundering central government funding, but did he get any funding for Wenshan District? Arbitrary cash giveaways of 10,000 in cash to voters! This suggests he doesn’t respect voters.
3. Raising doubts about the US or migrating to the US to enjoy life: You have suspicions about the US? Then why did you send your kids to the US to study? Your daughter is a dentist in the US! You’re suspicious or you want to enjoy life in the US? You only want to achieve for yourself, the people of your constituency are nothing to you!
4. Citizens get a nothing burger (pun on his name): What is your intention behind cutting the defense budget? You ignore the rights of the Taiwanese people, rental subsidies and electricity subsidies have all disappeared, Lai Shyh-bao destroys the constitution with bad policy!! The citizens pay your salary, but you just mess around!!