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The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) condemned China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) for alleging that Taiwan's ruling party was engaging in "political manipulation" and had lost public backing, as reported by the Taipei Times.
TAO spokesman Chen Binhua stated that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) "has faced a decline in popular support and its policies contradict the genuine mainstream public sentiment in Taiwan," following the failed recall votes against 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers the previous day. He further claimed that the DPP acts as though it has a "fundamental stance on Taiwan independence" and harbours an "ambition for one-party control," according to the Taipei Times report. He accused the DPP of "neglecting the welfare of Taiwanese and frequently inciting political conflict, suppressing opponents by any means, and aggravating societal divisions." He argued that these actions have "revealed the party's facade of democracy and illustrated its true authoritarian nature." In reply, the MAC asserted that Beijing's authorities "lack democratic experience and thus have no authority to comment on or misrepresent Taiwan's democratic framework." It emphasised that the recall vote exemplified Taiwan's democratic constitutional system and represented a significant achievement by Taiwanese citizens and civil society groups, as cited by the Taipei Times report. The council asserted that such democratic accomplishments must be safeguarded and upheld by all sectors of society. It noted that the recall outcomes were influenced by the characteristics of each electoral district and the performance of individual legislators, emphasising that the result was determined by the voters in each area. It stated, "The government's commitment to defending national sovereignty, maintaining a free and democratic lifestyle, and resisting the Chinese Communist Party's [CCP] 'united front' strategies and pressure has remained unchanged." The statement added, "This position reflects the authentic mainstream opinion of Taiwanese society, and Beijing should not exploit the recall vote as a pretext for harmful political tactics against Taiwan," as noted by the Taipei Times report. Citizen Congress Watch (CCW), a legislative oversight group, also condemned the TAO's remarks, arguing that Beijing should adopt democratic processes like recall votes in China. As the most authoritarian regime globally, China, where Xi has even modified the constitution to effectively remain in power indefinitely, should refrain from labelling others as "authoritarian," stated CCW executive director Leo Chang, as reported by the Taipei Times. (ANI)
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