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Another legislator expected to leave the conflict-ridden People First Party

People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) edged closer to making a decision about whether to part ways with his party after a failed meeting with PFP Vice Chairman Chang Chao-hsiung (張昭雄) yesterday, saying that he plans to announce his final decision tomorrow.

Chiu met with Chang for close to two hours yesterday morning in an attempt to mend the damaged relations between him and the PFP. After the meeting concluded, Chang told reporters that Chiu will make his final announcement on Monday.

He "respects any decision made by Chiu," Chang said yesterday, while wiping tears from his apparently emotional meeting with the party vice chairman.

Chang had been expected to talk to Chiu about the party's possible decision to take disciplinary action against Chiu for his recent remarks, but Chang said that most of his talk with Chiu had centered around Chiu's marital problems.

Chiu and his wife divorced earlier this year.

The PFP legislator is facing potential disciplinary action from the party for his recent criticism of the party over its performance in last Saturday's National Assembly elections.

In the election, the PFP secured only 18 of the 40 seats it had expected, leading Chiu and several other legislators to openly criticize the party's leadership. The maverick lawmakers also said it had been a mistake to become friendly with the Democratic Progressive Party.

The dissolution among PFP legislators has already resulted in the departure of one legislator -- Lee Chin-hua (李慶華) -- to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and Chiu is expected to follow.

Chiu has said previously that he plans to leave the PFP to form a new political party with rogue Legislator Li Ao (李敖).

After his conversation with Chang, Chiu said that regardless of his relationship with the party, he and Chang are still personal friends.
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