Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) remained tight-lipped yesterday about the US response to the legislature’s probe into the nationality status of all lawmakers, but his silence prompted speculation from the pan-green camp that the government was intent on hiding something.
Approached by reporters on his way to the legislature, Ou said he could not respond to the legislature’s inquiry regarding results of the probe because the US’ response was not clear enough.
“[We decided not to publicize the response] because ... our related agencies considered the answer unspecific,” he said.
PHOTO: CNA
“We were unable to respond to the legislature as a result. I have also met with the speaker and I decided to ask the US for assistance in order to provide a clear answer,” he said.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrew Hsia (夏立言) told the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee on Monday that the ministry had received a response from the American Institute in Taiwan’s Washington headquarters regarding the legislature’s inquiry as to whether any of the current 113 legislators possessed US citizenship.
The Legislative Yuan approved a proposal to investigate the nationality status of all legislators and government officials on May 23.
The decision came in the wake of allegations by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Diane Lee’s (李慶安) US citizenship remained valid.
Lee has said that she obtained permanent residency in the US in 1985 and citizenship in 1991, but gave up her US citizenship when she became a public official.
Citing Section 349(A)(4) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, Lee said that she lost her citizenship when she took an oath of allegiance and began to serve as a public official.
Article 20 of the Nationality Law (國籍法) states that foreign citizens cannot hold government office.
If Lee were found to have violated Article 20, she would have to return the salary she earned as a Taipei City councilor from 1994 to 1998 and as a legislator since 1998 — estimated at around NT$100 million (US$3.2 million).
She would also lose her job as a legislator, which would force a by-election in Taipei City’s sixth district.
In June, all lawmakers were asked to submit personal information and consent to the ministry verifying whether they possessed foreign citizenship.
The legislature asked the ministry to assist in the probe in late July.
Ou was confronted by DPP legislators Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) and Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) yesterday, who accused the minister of trying to conceal the US’ response.
“The legislature wanted me to answer yes or no, so I can’t give an answer now,” Ou said.
He also dismissed DPP speculation that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had ordered the response not be made public.
Ou said he went to the Presidential Office on Monday afternoon to participate in a meeting on foreign affairs and that he did not discuss the matter with the president.
When asked for comment, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said: “I know [the content of the response] but I can’t tell you.”
Wang dismissed media speculation that the ministry and the legislature were unable to make the response public because it would spark controversy.
“It’s an ongoing investigation,” Wang said.
Wang said the Nationality Law requires lawmakers who used to own dual citizenship to present documents within one year after they assume office to prove that they had given up foreign nationality.
“It’s not yet the deadline [Jan. 31]. Therefore, they [the US] only have to give us a clear answer [to the probe] by Feb. 1,” he said.
KMT caucus secretary-general Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) said the caucus had not received any report from the foreign ministry regarding the US’ response.
When asked if Chang was worried that more KMT legislators would be found to have dual citizenship, Chang said: “We would still face the music then.”
Meanwhile, Lee yesterday rebutted media speculation that she had quietly filled out forms to give up her US citizenship in a third country.
Lee urged those who made the allegations to present evidence to back their claim.
“So far, a lot of people have made groundless accusations against me and victimized me,” she said.
Lee said she began applying for US documents in May to prove that she had lost her US citizenship.
“The letter by the [US] State Department’s highest-ranking official in charge of citizenship affairs [Edward Betancourt] showed that the document proving that I have lost my [US] citizenship is still under review,” she said, adding that she would submit copies of the letters to Ou and Wang.
Lee said she had no idea when the State Department would complete the review, but she hoped the review would be concluded “as soon as possible.”
Lee said she was confident that she would be able to present the official document to the legislature before the deadline.
Lee also dismissed media speculation that her brother, KMT Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), also had US citizenship.
“He absolutely does not, but I don’t know if any other [lawmakers] do,” she said.
DPP whip William Lai (賴清德) later told a press conference that Ou went to see Ma in the Presidential Office at 4pm on Monday to report the conclusion of the probe.
“Why didn’t Ou present the results at the legislature directly, rather than going to see Ma?” Lai said.
“By concealing information from the legislature, Ou may have committed a crime,” he said.
The legislator said the DPP caucus had requested the Supreme Prosecutor Office’s Special Investigation Panel launch an investigation into Ou because the case was similar to the investigation into former Bureau of Investigation director-general Yeh Sheng-mao (葉盛茂).
Last week the Taipei District Court sentenced Yeh to 10 years in prison for withholding information related to the alleged money laundering activities of former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) family and a separate charge of leaking confidential information.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
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