Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) yesterday said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should explain why it had nominated a “US citizen” as a legislative candidate.
Chang Kuo-hsin (張國鑫), a DPP legislative candidate for the first district in Nantou County, has lived in the US for 27 years and “is an American without doubt,” Wu said at a press conference in the legislature.
Wu said Chang did not heed the DPP’s advice to relinquish his US citizenship before nomination and instead said he would only do so when he is elected.
The Nationality Act (國籍法) requires that individuals with dual nationality renounce their foreign citizenship before assuming public office and obtain a certificate testifying to the loss of citizenship within one year of their inauguration.
“Although Chang is allowed to sign up as a candidate under the Nationality Act, how can the DPP accept that when it always links the issue of dual nationality to national allegiance? Was the DPP okay with an American running for legislature?” Wu asked.
The party’s failure to have Chang renounce his US citizenship is a demonstration of DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) incompetence, Wu said, adding that Tsai should either apologize or revoke Chang’s nomination.
Last month, Chang was quoted by the Chinese-language United Daily News as saying he had never tried to hide the fact that he has US citizenship.
“It’s natural that I am a US citizen because I worked in the US for more than 20 years after graduation there,” he said in a report on Oct. 11. “Unlike some elected officials who go to the US to keep their green cards valid, but hide their intentions, I have never lied to my constituents.”
Chang yesterday said he would handle the problem in accordance with the law.
“I have resigned from a well-paying job in the US and returned to Taiwan to serve the people. There is no doubt that I will take care of the problem,” he said, adding that there was no need for Wu to make an issue out of the case.
The DPP confirmed in a press release last night that Chang has not renounced his US citizenship and urged him to do so as soon as possible. Chang’s patriotism in returning to the country to serve is commendable, it said.
Additional reporting by ChrisWang
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