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No resolution on nationality probe

Despite the legislature’s request that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclose the US’ reply to the legislature’s inquiry on the nationality status of all lawmakers, little progress has been made.

When asked for an update on the inquiry yesterday, both Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus deputy secretary-general Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) said neither caucus had received a response from the ministry.

Cross-party negotiations on Tuesday morning concluded with the legislature demanding that the ministry send a response by yesterday. DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said after the session that copies of the ministry’s reply should be sent to all party caucuses.

The controversy began when the Chinese-language Next magazine alleged that KMT Legislator Diane Lee (李慶安) still holds US citizenship.

Lee has argued that she obtained permanent residency in the US in 1985 and citizenship in 1991, but lost her US citizenship when she became a public official in Taiwan.

The legislature launched a citizenship probe on May 23 in response to the DPP caucus’ repeated allegations that Lee remains a US citizen.

The ministry did not receive the US’ reply to the nationality probe until recently and Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) has said that the reply from the US was not specific enough.

The Taipei Times spoke to a ministry official yesterday, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He said that the ministry had not received the legislature’s request for the US’ response.

Meanwhile, an official at the legislature’s Personnel Department, which is responsible for ensuring that lawmakers qualify for office, declined to comment when asked by the Taipei Times whether the legislature’s request had been sent to the ministry.
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