The DPP's Central Standing Committee yesterday reached an agreement to overrule a decision made by the party's city council caucus in Kaohsiung to support the scandal-ridden independent city councilor Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄) to run for election as the council's speaker.
DPP headquarters has been flooded with complaint calls from supporters after the party's Kaohsiung City Council caucus decided on Sunday that its 14 city councilors-elect would unanimously support Chu in today's election for city council speaker.
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
A controversial politician, Chu is being prosecuted over allegations of bribery, economic crimes and tax evasion.
To silence the complaints, DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday said that the party had agreed to turn down the proposal made by the party's city council caucus in Kaohsiung and whoever voted in favor of Chu would be "dealt with in accordance to the party's charter."
"It is not possible for the party to support someone who is being prosecuted for bribery and serious financial irregularities. The party, therefore, decided to reject the decision made by the party's Kaohsiung city council caucus," Chang said.
The DPP city council caucus agreed later last night to support DPP councilor Kao Tzeng-ying (
DPP lawmakers yesterday also lashed out at the attitude of the Kaohsiung councilors.
They said the party would lose public support if it failed to live up to people's expectation to terminate "black gold" politics.
DPP legislative whip Wang Tuoh (
"Especially during a period when the KMT is striving to wean itself off black gold and link dirty money to the DPP, the DPP should take heed and try all it can to maintain its clean image," he said.
Approximately fifty DPP members yesterday burned their party ID cards outside the party's Kaohsiung branch to show their dissatisfaction with the caucus' support for Chu.Also See Story:
Kaohsiung's `black gold' troubles
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