The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced that it would strip five city councilors of their party affiliation after they failed to vote for DPP nominees in last weekend’s speakership elections.
Three councilors in Greater Tainan and one each in Greater Kaohsiung and New Taipei City (新北市, the proposed English name of the upgraded Taipei County), including Adrean Lee (李婉鈺), were disciplined at a meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee.
Calling the decision difficult “but necessary,” DPP spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said that the move, which could impact the councilors’ re-election bids in 2014, was made to deter any future instances of runaway votes against the party’s official nominee.
HUANG SPARED
Another DPP councilor, Huang Shu-mei (黃淑美) of the Greater Kaohsiung Council, saw her party rights suspended. Party officials decided not to expel her after new findings showed that she voted for the official nominee in the second round.
The expulsion of Lee, who tabloid magazines had accused of involvement in an adultery scandal earlier this month, came one day after she tearfully announced her own departure from the party.
She claimed she voted for herself by accident, saying that she was too nervous.
‘UNSURPRISING’
Reached for a comment, she called the decision “regrettable, but unsurprising,” adding that she would respect the verdict despite originally being a lifelong member of the party.
DPP officials said that she would be barred from rejoining the party for at least five years.
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