Scrape with DPP leaves conbative Chiu feeling bruised

"Though I survived, I did not feel an once of joy. Rather, I feel weary and fearful. Now I realize that politics is a realm where I am a freshman indeed" Chiu Chang, DPP lawmaker PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES

The past week has been a roller-coaster ride for rookie DPP lawmaker Chiu Chang (邱彰).

On Monday, the party's Central Review Committee voted 8 to 2 to strip Chiu of her membership, a ruling that was overturned by the Arbitration Committee Wednesday on grounds of procedural flaws.

If booted from the party, Chiu would lose her office as a legislator-at-large because she won her seat through appointment rather than direct election.

Chiu, a former lawyer, was accused of failing to display her ballot during the election of the new legislative vice speaker on Feb. 1, in defiance of a party order.

Contentious and straightforward, Chiu traded barbs with fellow colleagues on the legislative floor, with opposition lawmakers cheering on.

The brawl, captured live on TV, prompted some DPP members to demand that she be booted from the party, though others prefer a milder penalty.

The Arbitration Committee's turnabout, however, may prove to be only a reprieve. Colleagues such as Chou Po-lun (周伯倫) have called on the party to mend the "procedural flaw" and expel her.

"Though I survived, I did not feel an once of joy. Rather, I feel weary and fearful. Now I realize that politics is a realm where I am a freshman indeed"

Chiu Chang, DPP lawmaker

"Though I survived, I did not feel an ounce of joy," said Chiu. "Rather, I feel weary and fearful. Now I realize that politics is a realm where I am a freshman indeed."

Moral dilamma

Seeking to help the party's nominee Hong Chi-chang (洪奇昌) win the vice speakership, the DPP caucus adopted a resolution that bound its 89 members to show their vote to appointed colleagues before inserting them into ballot boxes.

Chiu frowned on the edict, saying it would flout electoral rules.

Her noncompliance enraged her senior colleagues, some of whom claimed that Chiu did not vote for Hong and vowed to seek her removal.

On Monday, the DPP Central Review Committee voted in favor of revoking her membership and thereby her legislative seat.

"No member is above party rules," said DPP lawmaker Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), who proposed punishing Chiu last month.

"She should not have ignored the caucus decision and bickered with colleagues. Her conduct had harmed the party's image and unity."

Fellow lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) echoed Gao, saying that members would start to take discipline lightly if Chiu went unpunished.

"As a lawmaker-at-large, Chiu has greater responsibility to uphold party discipline."

Unfazed, Chiu sought recourse through the party's Arbitration Committee the following day. She pointed out that Gao, a member of the Central Standing Committee, had no right to recommend her punishment as this falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Executive Committee.

Further, she argued that the article used to expel her was invalid, because it stipulates that the disciplinary action should come from the party caucus.

After hearing her case, the Arbitration Committee, consisting of a group of disinterested lawyers, invalidated her expulsion.

"The Central Standing Committee has no role in mediating the dispute," conceded DPP deputy secretary-general Hsu Jen-tu (許仁圖). "It is now up to the legislative caucus to decide whether to refer Chiu to the Central Review Committee for discipline."

Though the matter has yet to be finalized, the dramatic twists and turns have mellowed the outspoken Chiu.

"I will learn to be humble and cautious when dealing with interpersonal relations in the future," she said.

Chiu, 52, had worked as a legal consultant since 1989, when she returned to Taiwan, until early this year. She earned a master's degree in microbiology and a law degree from Columbia University. Later she gained her Ph.D. in biochemistry from New Jersey State University.

Many have said Chiu is out of touch with the party, whose members share a similar ideology and a camaraderie generated from years of participating in protest movements. It is not uncommon to see her arguing with colleagues over public policies on TV.

Frank manner

"I wanted to join the DPP long ago but [DPP lawmaker] Hsu Jung-shu (許榮淑) talked me out of it, saying my frankness would make a lot of enemies," Chiu said.

She did not join the party until 1997.

"But I have been indirectly involved in democratic movements," Chiu said. "Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), for example, stayed at my house when she studied in the US in the 70s."

Chiu sought unsuccessfully to win a legislative seat representing Taipei City as an independent in 1992 and as a DPP standard-bearer for Pingtung County in 1998. Last December, she made a third attempt and won a seat through proportional representation.

"I decided to enter politics because I think it is more meaningful to make law than to practice it," she said

Chiu plans to focus on biotechnology legislation. To that end, she sits on the Science and Technology Committee.

Though Chiu paints her crisis as having passed, it remains to be seen if she will hold onto her seat before her term expires in January 2005.

Chou Po-lun (周伯倫), a four-term lawmaker, said the turnabout is temporary and advised the party to kick her out by citing a different article.

"It will save a lot of time if the Central Review Committee just sacks her based on Article 39," Chou told a news conference Thursday.

Two-term legislator Alice Wang (王雪峰), on the other hand, branded Chiu an opportunist.

"To my knowledge, she had contact with the KMT and the New Party back in 1992," Wang said. "She ran as an independent after failing to win a nomination from either party."

But Chiu said it's not in the party's interest for colleagues to gang up on her.

"I have learned the secret of survival -- growing numb when provoked," she said.

Still, Chiu said she would not hesitate to fight for what she believes is right.

She is considering asking the constitutional court to rule on whether a party can deprive members of elected office.

"If I was afraid of grease, I would not have stepped into the kitchen," she said.