Bowing to public outcry over his thug-like behavior on Wednesday, independent lawmaker Lo Fu-chu (
Lee, still hospitalized for treatment of minor injuries made good on her pledge to press lawsuits against Lo through her lawyer and fellow legislators from the People First Party (PFP).
"I will withdraw from the legislature for three months if my absence can indeed benefit its operation," Lo told a morning news conference. "I will consider quitting politics altogether if it functions well without my service during that period."
Although not affiliated with any political party, Lo exerts formidable influence in the lawmaking body. On Wednesday he slapped and punched Lee whom Lo said had wrongfully accused him of power peddling in the appointment of board members for the Jin-Wen Institute of Technology (景文技術學院).
The fight, aired repeatedly on television, sparked public outcry and politicians of all stripes lined up to condemn Lo's violent conduct. After announcing his temporary departure, Lo stood up from his seat and gave a deep bow to offer his apology again to the public and, in particular, to women.
Still, he refused to apologize to Lee, insisting that violence, be it verbal or physical, deserves denunciation. "The volley of slanderous charges made by Lee incited the conflict in the first place," he said.
During a committee meeting on Monday, Lee asked education officials to name fellow lawmakers who have allegedly interfered with the board appointments for the Jin-wen Institute. The private school, under investigation for financial irregularities, was recently taken over by the Ministry of Education.
Lo did say that some faculty members from the troubled college had asked for his help but that he "did not exceed normal bounds at any time."
"As an elected official, I could not ignore my constituents," he said.
Though Lo's voluntary departure means the legislature will not have to take immediate action to deal with his unruly behavior, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Lo would be a member of the legislature's ad-hoc Discipline Committee, along with his son Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), chairman of the Finance Committee.
Speaking from her hospital bed, Lee said that she was not asking for any kind of apology.
"I just want the legal system to deliver justice."
At 10:15am, her colleagues lodged assault charges with Taipei District Court on her behalf. They dismissed Lo's gesture as little more than cosmetic, noting that he could continue to manipulate legislation from outside. Cheng Chin-ling (
They later called on the Ministry of Justice where they urged authorities to strengthen their campaign against corruption and organized crime. They also pushed for stiffer conduct codes to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The KMT caucus also proposed later in the day to expel rogue members from the lawmaking body and disqualify them from seeking reelection in December. "The punishments currently available are so light that they can not achieve the intended effect," KMT lawmaker Hong Yuh-chin (洪玉欽) said.
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