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EDITORIAL: What’s behind Diane Lee’s silence?

The saga over whether Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Diane Lee (李慶安) has US citizenship has gone on for far too long.

It was back in March when Next Magazine broke the story, alleging that Lee had never relinquished her US citizenship and had therefore violated Article 20 of the Nationality Act (國籍法), which bars foreign citizens from holding government office.

Yet a full three months later, the public is still no closer to the truth.

During that period, the new government — under pressure from the opposition over the number of government officials who allegedly hold foreign citizenship or permanent residency in other countries — has managed to perform background checks on all the members of the new Cabinet, ambassadors and representatives serving overseas and just about anyone else they can think of in order to determine their residency status.

But no word on Lee.

The main reason for this is that Lee, unlike the others who have had their backgrounds checked, has been unwilling to volunteer any information or give permission to investigators wishing to check her background with the US authorities.

If the allegations are false — as she claims — then why has she not filed a lawsuit against the magazine or presented conclusive proof that would take the wind out of the sails of her detractors?

Instead, she stays silent in the hope that the issue will blow over, while hiding behind the protective shield of the KMT-dominated legislature in a manner that implies guilt.

The KMT has also been silent on the issue. Maybe it fears that a background check on legislators could unearth some more skeletons in the party’s closet.

If Lee is found to have broken the law, she stands to lose her legislative seat and would be forced to pay back the salary she earned during her terms as a lawmaker and, before that, as a Taipei City councilor. Estimates put the sum somewhere near NT$100 million (US$3.3 million), a lot of money even for someone from such a wealthy, well-connected family as hers.

Beyond monetary concerns, if Lee were found to have lied, it would raise important questions about all the policies and laws she worked on or voted on during her time as a lawmaker. If someone holding citizenship of another country has been involved in the promulgation of laws that concern that country, it gives rise to a conflict of interest of the highest order.

One would think that anybody in a position of trust who has knowingly broken the law would have resigned by now, but as we saw in 2002 when Lee wrongly accused then-top health official Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) of sexually harassing another man during a KTV party, she has no scruples.

Unless the legislature moves on the issue — something that seems unlikely given its current inactivity — then the mystery will be allowed to continue and an alleged lawbreaker will remain a lawmaker.
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