A China-friendly politician is humiliated in Taiwan

“KAOHSIUNG PEOPLE are writing their own history” and “God bless Taiwan” read the yellow bandannas worn by many in the crowd that had gathered in the southern port city of Kaohsiung on June 6th, to wait for the results of a vote to recall their China-friendly mayor, Han Kuo-yu (pictured). On hearing that he would be sacked, they burst into loud applause.

Almost 1m residents, 97% of those who went to the polls, voted against the mayor, the first recall of a senior politician in Taiwan’s history. Mr Han was once the golden boy of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), having wrested control of Kaohsiung from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2018 for the first time in a generation. Encouraged by his strong showing in a DPP stronghold, the KMT chose him as its candidate to take on Tsai Ing-wen, the incumbent, in January’s presidential poll. Many expected the folksy Mr Han to defeat the dour Ms Tsai. Instead, the would-be toppler has himself been toppled.