The legislature yesterday approved a proposal to turn DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-fang (蔡啟芳) over to the Disciplinary Committee for a vulgar outburst he made about Independent Legislator Sisy Chen's (陳文茜) breasts.
Despite Tsai's discontentment with the proposal, the measure was passed without any objections.
Tsai later complained about the move to discipline him, saying that his comments were made in private and not on the legislature floor.
Last Tuesday Tsai -- refering to a comment by Chen in which she had said "women use their breasts as a social tool," -- was heard during a legislative session saying, "Sisy Chen said her breasts are for socializing. I also want to socialize with her breasts."
Although the remark was made in a private conversation between Tsai and a colleague, it was picked up by the media's recording machines.
Two damage-control press conferences were arranged by DPP caucus officials the next day for Tsai to apologize to Taiwan's female population for his remarks.
While apologizing to women at large, Tsai refused to offer a direct apology to Chen and deliberately mispronounced her name several times during both conferences.
Citing as its reason that Tsai's verbal outburst was a personal attack on Chen and an insult to the nation's women, yesterday's proposal to turn Tsai over to the Discipline Committee for punishment was initiated by the PFP's legislative caucus.
"Tsai should be sent to the committee for discipline because his remark was belittling to women and severely damaged the image of the legislature," said Chiu Yi (邱毅), the deputy convener of the PFP legislative caucus.
The legislature's approval yesterday was the second time during the past week in which a legislator was voted to the Disciplinary Committee for possible punishment over verbal abuse of women.
Last Tuesday, the legislature had also approved a proposal to turn KMT Legislator Yu Yueh-hsia (
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