Voters in Taipei’s fifth electoral district are set to go to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to recall lawmaker Freddy Lim.
Before his election to the legislature in 2016, Lim was best known for being the front man of Taiwanese metal band Chthonic and his role as chair of Amnesty International Taiwan. But amid a rising tide of youth activism, he turned to politics. He was elected as a lawmaker for the New Power Party, which he helped found, and from which he has since split to become an independent. Political causes he has championed include human rights and Taiwan independence.
Lim’s recall challenge began in May of 2021, when part of his constituency was at the center of a COVID-19 outbreak. Some constituents accused Lim of backing a government official who they thought was trying to put blame for the outbreak on local people like themselves and clear the central government of responsibility. They also criticized an appearance Lim made with government officials at a local market in June, saying that he is never in the area and didn’t visit the market as the COVID outbreak hit the area.
Taiwan has seen a string of recall campaigns thanks to rule changes introduced in 2016 and 2017 that make it easier to launch them and easier to successfully remove politicians. In order to pass, 25% of eligible voters will need to vote in favor of removing Lim, and the number of those in favor must exceed the number of votes against.