Han's appeal to halt Kaohsiung mayoral recall rejected

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) The Taiwan Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to halt a planned recall vote against him.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Jan. 20 issued an announcement that a petition to recall Han had collected enough signatures to pass the threshold for the first step of the recall process.

Lawyers representing Han filed an administrative request with the Taipei High Administrative Court on April 8, seeking to suspend the CEC's right to proceed with the recall vote.

The administrative high court on April 17 rejected the mayor's request to suspend the recall election.

Han filed an appeal against the ruling.

In Thursday's ruling, the supreme administrative court said the CEC notified Chen Kuan-jung (陳冠榮), the recall petition's lead initiator, in April that he could launch the second stage of the recall process.

According to the notice issued on April 17 to Chen, the number of verified signatures submitted passed the required threshold for the second stage of the petition to recall Han, which could lead to a recall vote in June.

The supreme administrative court ruled Thursday that if Han wants to ask the CEC to suspend the recall process he should appeal against the CEC's notice in April rather than the decision in January.

The ruling was final.