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DPP passes stricter measures for future legislators-at-large

The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Central Standing Committee yesterday passed a resolution to tighten the party's regulations on future legislators-at-large.

DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told a press conference that the committee agreed unanimously that "the party's legislators-at-large should adhere to the party's values, ideals and resolutions."

DPP legislators-at-large are also obliged to abide by the party's platforms, Lin said, adding that violators of this resolution could be removed from the party's list of legislators-at-large and/or have their membership rights suspended.

Violators of the resolution would lose the party's nomination, in effect costing them their seats in the legislature.

"In the future `single district, two votes' system, voters cast one of their votes for a party they support. These legislators-at-large represent the party, so they are supposed to accept the party's values, ideals and resolutions," he said.

Since early this month, the committee has discussed how the party could better regulate the behavior of its legislators-at-large.

The original plan was to require legislators-at-large to sign a letter of resignation before assuming office, which could be used to require legislators-at-large to resign if they are found to have violated party rules.

This measure drew criticism from within the party.

In a related development, the committee also discussed the party's negotiations with the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) for next year's legislative poll.

A cooperation can be achieved by deciding the final nominees based on opinion poll ratings of DPP and TSU legislative nominees in the same districts or by including some TSU candidates on the list of DPP legislator-at-large nominations, Lin said.
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