Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said he respected Lee’s decision and hoped her resignation would put an end to the controversy. He said, however, that the legislature could still deliberate over how to deal with the DPP’s proposal to unseat Lee.
Wang denied any knowledge of senior KMT members pressuring Lee to resign.
He expressed reservations about the legislature holding a vote on the DPP’s proposal to relieve KMT Legislator Mark Li (李明星), who has also been accused by the DPP of failing to renounce his US citizenship before taking office.
Wang said the legislature should handle legislators’ nationality status in accordance with the final results of the US State Department’s probe, which MOFA received last month.
“Li’s name was not included in the list [of lawmakers who were found to still have US citizenship],” Wang said.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said Lee, Li, the KMT and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) all owed the public an apology for wasting excessive resources on the investigation.
The DPP caucus also requested that Lee be forced to repay the entire salary she received in her official capacity since assuming office 14 years ago.
Taiwan Association of University Professors chairman Tsai Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴) said yesterday that the demonstrations planned by the group would take place today as scheduled.
Commenting on the demonstrations, Lo said the DPP and the pro-localization groups’ decision to go on with their siege showed that “their true intention was to create chaos.”
Lee’s resignation triggers a by-election in the sixth electoral district in Taipei City.
DPP caucus whip Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) yesterday said an anonymous source had informed him that EasyCard Corp chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) would “send his people” to the demonstration to ensure that Lee is forced out of the legislature, which would give him a chance to run in the by-election.
Denying the claim, Lien, son of former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), said yesterday he did not intend to run in the upcoming by-election.
Asked who the KMT would nominate to run for Lee’s seat, Lee Chien-jung said the party would follow the regulations.
KMT City Councilor Chiang Nai-shin (蔣乃辛) has expressed an interest in running.
Meanwhile, Huang Chin-lin (黃慶林), director of the DPP’s Taipei branch, said yesterday the chapter intended to recommend former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰) for the by-election.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KO SHU-LIN, JUMMY CHUANG AND STAFF WRITER
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