Taipei [Taiwan], April 27 (ANI): Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu has said that the legislature would move to initiate a presidential recall against Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te after May 20, Taipei Times reported.

Speaking at a protest in Taipei on Saturday themed "against green communists and dictatorship," Chu accused Lai of polarising Taiwanese society since taking office and said the president must demonstrate a genuine commitment to democratic principles or face a referendum on his removal.

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Taiwan should be a peaceful and united homeland, Chu said, but under Lai's leadership, divisions have deepened. Chu charged that Lai has used the power of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to serve personal ambitions, crush opposition parties, and damage the very fabric of Taiwan's democracy. "Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party," Chu said, accusing Lai of failing to fulfil the responsibilities of his office.

Chu went further, alleging that Lai has cracked down not only on long-time political rivals such as former Taiwan People's Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je, but has also attempted to "exterminate all opposition forces." He said Lai's methods made him "worse than a communist or fascist," warning that democracy -- a precious asset for Taiwan -- must not be destroyed by authoritarian behaviour.

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Responding to Lai's earlier comment that those opposed to dictatorship should protest against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Chu said demonstrators were right to rally against what he termed "green communists and fascism" at home. He described Lai as "the head of green communists," intensifying his accusations against the president, reported Taipei Times.

TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang also addressed the crowd, stating that they were gathered to remind Lai and the DPP government that "Taiwan belongs to Taiwanese, not to Lai or the DPP." He recounted how Lai had allegedly directed the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office to detain Ko and search the TPP headquarters last year, despite no illegal cash flows or evidence of wrongdoing being found. Huang vowed that the TPP would not be deterred by "Lai's dictatorship," declaring, "We would not back off even a step."

Huang criticised the political climate under Lai, saying that many Taiwanese, including some senior DPP members, had expressed dissatisfaction but were intimidated by Lai's supporters.

"How could it be called democracy if anyone who criticised Lai or the DPP would be bullied by his 'bluebird' supporters?" Huang asked. He added that Taiwan's democratic gains should not be reversed by authoritarian tactics.

Rejecting Lai's suggestion that protesters were aligned with the CCP, Huang said the TPP's stance is clear: "We fight against the 'red communists' and the 'green communists.'" He also pressed Lai to answer which political party was harbouring the most Chinese spies, referencing the recent detention of DPP member Ho Jen-chieh on espionage charges. Huang questioned why Lai was protecting National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu and called for accountability, Taipei Times reported.

Huang concluded that red-smearing tactics will not silence opposition voices, saying that accusing critics of being CCP sympathisers is a hallmark of authoritarian rule, not democratic leadership. (ANI)

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