The KMT's disciplinary arm has again struck out at independent presidential candidate James Soong's (
Those named included seven legislators, two county and city council speakers and two National Assembly deputies.
The KMT's central standing committee is expected to pass the evaluation and disciplinary committee's recommendations in its weekly meeting Wednesday.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The action comes less than a month after the committee voted to expel Soong from the party, while suspending the memberships of six others.
Once the disciplinary action is approved, the KMT's legislative caucus membership will be reduced to 118 from 125 in a 225-seat house. Another lawmaker would be returning to the caucus, though, as Lin Chih-chia (
While 119 may look a thin majority, the KMT does not appear to be worried. Chien Wei-chang (
"If we have to worry that much, there is virtually nothing we can do," he said.
Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
DPP caucus leader Chen Chi-mai (
"In any case," Chen said, "voting behavior on the floor by those KMT lawmakers supporting Soong has never been as much of a group. Sometimes they even vote against each other. That's why their expulsion won't make much difference to the KMT."
The lawmakers who have been put up for expulsion are Liu Wen-hsiung (
All seven said yesterday they would continue supporting Soong in his bid for the presidency.
"The disciplinary action has had no effect on us, as we are thinking only about how to help Soong," Liu said at a press conference yesterday.
"We will take all the suppression from the KMT, and continue on our road to reform," Chou said.
When asked why they had not pre-empted their expulsion by quitting the party, the legislators sounded unanimous in declaring that it was not that they did not care for the party, but that the party was controlled by a "small bunch of people."
The real message being sent out by the party's upper hierarchy seems to be directed at those who are still wavering in openly declaring their support for Soong.
"We hope those who are still hesitating will refrain from supporting Soong," said Chien.
Political analysts agreed that it was clear why the action had been taken.
"It will serve as a warning to those who are still wavering, because if they are kicked out of the party, they will have to face a much more uncertain political future," said Lin Chia-lung (
‘ABUSE OF POWER’: Lee Chun-yi allegedly used a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon and take his wife to restaurants, media reports said Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) resigned on Sunday night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by the media. Control Yuan Vice President Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) yesterday apologized to the public over the issue. The watchdog body would follow up on similar accusations made by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and would investigate the alleged misuse of government vehicles by three other Control Yuan members: Su Li-chiung (蘇麗瓊), Lin Yu-jung (林郁容) and Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋), Lee Hung-chun said. Lee Chun-yi in a statement apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a
Taiwan yesterday denied Chinese allegations that its military was behind a cyberattack on a technology company in Guangzhou, after city authorities issued warrants for 20 suspects. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier yesterday issued warrants for 20 people it identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). The bureau alleged they were behind a May 20 cyberattack targeting the backend system of a self-service facility at the company. “ICEFCOM, under Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, directed the illegal attack,” the warrant says. The bureau placed a bounty of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392) on each of the 20 people named in
The High Court yesterday found a New Taipei City woman guilty of charges related to helping Beijing secure surrender agreements from military service members. Lee Huei-hsin (李慧馨) was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), making illegal compacts with government employees and bribery, the court said. The verdict is final. Lee, the manager of a temple in the city’s Lujhou District (蘆洲), was accused of arranging for eight service members to make surrender pledges to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in exchange for money, the court said. The pledges, which required them to provide identification
INDO-PACIFIC REGION: Royal Navy ships exercise the right of freedom of navigation, including in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, the UK’s Tony Radakin told a summit Freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region is as important as it is in the English Channel, British Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said at a summit in Singapore on Saturday. The remark came as the British Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, is on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region as head of an international carrier strike group. “Upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and with it, the principles of the freedom of navigation, in this part of the world matters to us just as it matters in the