By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) – China said Sunday that the results of the second round of recall votes against Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers showed that "Taiwan independence," separatism runs “against the will of the people,” state-run Xinhua News reported.
Beijing’s remarks came after Saturday’s failed second-round recall vote against seven KMT lawmakers, with all proposals rejected, marking another victory for the KMT.
After two failed recall attempts, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remains a minority in the legislature, holding 51 of 113 seats.
"Following the first round of voting on July 26, the people of Taiwan have once again said 'no' to the DPP's malicious political farce," spokeswoman for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Zhu Fenglian told a news conference.
The outcome of Saturday’s vote mirrored the first such round held in July, when voters also rejected efforts to unseat 24 KMT lawmakers and a Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) mayor.
Zhu added that this clearly shows that any form of "Taiwan independence" separatism and political manipulation runs “against the will of the people” and is “doomed to fail.”
Opposition parties dominate the local legislature, leaving the administration of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te at the mercy of opposition votes to pass his policies.
China claims Taiwan as its “breakaway province,” while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.