According to Taiwan's Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, Mr Han Kuo-yu (left) will not be allowed to run for Kaohsiung mayor again in the next four years. PHOTO: REUTERS

Straits Times
Date: June 7, 2020
By: Katherine Wei Taiwan Correspondent In Kaohsiung  

Ousted Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu will be relieved of his position and duties by Friday at the latest and the by-election for the new mayor will be held before Sept 12, within three months of Mr Han's termination.

According to Taiwan's Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, Mr Han, 62, who is from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favours close ties with China, will not be allowed to run for Kaohsiung mayor again in the next four years.

But the by-election will be put on hold should Mr Han and the KMT decide to file a recall lawsuit to challenge the results. A total of 939,090 people voted for Mr Han's removal last Saturday – more than the number of people who voted for his mayoral election in November 2018.

Many of these residents in Kaohsiung, in the unprecedented recall vote, showed their disapproval over Mr Han's unfulfilled campaign promises, as well as his taking months off for his presidential campaign last year just months after he was elected as Kaohsiung mayor.  [FULL  STORY]