The KMT's Evaluation and Discipline Committee yesterday expelled seven party members because they were seeking office under the banners of rival parties in the Dec. 1 legislative elections.
The memberships of four others were revoked for campaigning in local government races without a party nomination or campaigning for the candidates of rival parties.
The move is another mass disciplinary action on the part of the KMT, following the August expulsion of 11 members who defected to the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
The committee's chairman, Chen Kang-chin (陳庚金), explained that his committee decided to expel the seven because running for office under the banner of rival parties is considered a more serious offense than running without the party's nomination.
Although both "expulsion" and "revocation of membership" mean ouster from the party, an expulsion is a more sever punishment, according to KMT rules.
Those who have their membership revoked can have it restored one year later. Members who are expelled are not allowed to rejoin until two years after their ouster.
Of the seven expelled, four are representing the People First Party in the December poll.
They are Lu Chun-hung (呂鈞鴻), who is running in Taipei County, and three others who won the PFP's nomination for legislator-at-large: Lin Huei-kwung (林惠官), president of the Chinese Federation of Labor (中華民國全國總工會), Ku Chung-lien (顧崇廉), former commander-in-chief of the ROC Navy, and Alfred Chen (陳飛龍), the chairman of Namchow Chemical (南僑化工).
The other three are representing the Taiwan Solidarity Union. The first is Eric Wu (吳東昇), chairman of the Taiwan Securities Co (台證綜合證券公司) and a former KMT legislator, who is on the TSU's slate of legislator-at-large candidates. The second is Taoyuan County Council speaker Huang Chin-teh (黃金德), who has registered to run for the legislature in Taoyuan County. The third is Lin Wen-sheng (林文生) who is chief of the Taichung County's Hoping Township and who is running for an Aboriginal seat.
Fengshan Mayor Huang Pa-yeh (黃八野), who insists on running for Kaohsiung County commissioner despite defeat in opinion polls to party nominee Wu Kuang-hsun (吳光訓), had his membership revoked. In the same boat is Chiayi County Government adviser Chen Sheng-san (陳勝三), who is running for Chiayi County commissioner after the party nominated Wong Chung-chun (翁重鈞) for the post.
The membership of legislator Tseng Chen-nung (曾振農) was revoked for campaigning for the DPP's candidate for Chiayi County commissioner, Chen Ming-wen (陳明文).
Yen Yao-hsing (顏耀星), deputy head of the KMT's Tainan County division, received the same punishment as Tseng for campaigning for the DPP's candidate for Tainan County commissioner, Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智).
Meanwhile, violations of discipline by legislator Lin Jih-jia (林志嘉) and Kinmen County commissioner Chen Shui-tsai (陳水在) were not handled during yesterday's meeting because their local divisions have not recommended to the committee what punishment to give them, according to Chen Kang-chin.
Both politicians registered to run in the legislative elections on Thursday without the party's nomination.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS