KMT lawmakers demand Tu resign if appeal fails

Opposition legislators yesterday challenged Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) to step down if the ministry fails to win an appeal against the Taipei High Administrative Court, which ruled that a Chinese bride's university degree should be recognized in Taiwan.

The court had earlier ruled in favor of Cheng Hsu-chih (鄭旭智), saying that her certificate of study from China's Jilin University of Technology was valid.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) plans to lodge an appeal, prompting Cheng and her Taiwanese husband, Chen Hung-chang (陳宏彰), to take their complaint to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators.

At a press conference yesterday, KMT legislators said that the long-winded litigation process might infringe on Cheng's chances of getting a job.

Chen said that based on the high court's ruling, Cheng's certificate was valid because the school was recognized by the MOE in 1997.

"In this case, how could the ministry say that the certificate issued by the school was invalid?" Chen said.

"Why is a Chinese certificate so scary?" he asked.

"The more restrictions the government puts on cross-strait interactions, the higher is the risk of people committing violations," Chen added.

KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) asked the MOE to abide by the ruling.

"If the ministry fails in its appeal, the minister should shoulder the responsibility," Lai said.

Chu Jung-pin (朱榮彬), president of an association composed of Taiwanese students who have studied in China, said the government's policy disclaiming certificates of education issued by China runs against the spirit of the Constitution.

Chu said that the association might file a lawsuit against the government over the ban.

Meanwhile, Lai said that he would ask the government to ease the restrictions and seek to amend related regulations.

"Although the ministry did recognize some Chinese schools in 1997, recognition of their certificates hinges on the government's policy," said Huang Wen-ling (黃雯玲), deputy director of the department of higher education.