China is “clearly” trying to interfere in Taiwan’s democracy and it is up to Taiwan’s people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office, the island’s government said on Wednesday ahead of a recall vote for around one-fifth of lawmakers. On Saturday, Taiwan voters will decide on the fate of 24 lawmakers from Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), in a recall campaign started by civic groups who accuse the lawmakers of cozying up to Beijing, which views the island as its own territory. The KMT denies being pro-Beijing, but says it needs to keep lines of communication with China open, and has denounced the recalls as a “malicious” attack on democracy that does not respect the results of last year’s parliamentary election. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and Chinese state media have repeatedly commented on the recall vote and used some of the same talking points as the Kuomintang, Reuters reported this week. In a post on Facebook citing the Reuters report and research by Taiwan’s IORG, which analyses Chinese state media reports, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said it “rejects the Chinese Communist Party’s intervention”.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to interfere with Taiwan’s democratic operation is evident and clear,” it said. “Recall in Taiwan is a civil right guaranteed by the constitution, and it is up to the people of Taiwan to decide who should or should not be removed from office.”

Full story : Taiwan’s incumbent government says China ‘clearly’ trying to interfere in the recall vote.