Former Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) chairman Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強) was expelled from the party, and his party membership revoked, for accompanying former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) on a visit to China.
In the monthly TSU Central Executive Committee meeting yesterday, a party executive said that Su addressed Chinese officials and gave interviews on talk shows that were contrary to the TSU’s platform, and this had raised the ire of party supporters.
Most committee members saw the trip by Su not as a private visit, but that he joined the delegation led by Lien. During the trip, Su spoke of the delegation as “encompassing people from all sectors of Taiwan, so it is symbolic of inclusive representation.”
Media also referred to Su in their reports as “former TSU chairman,” which committee members said created a false impression that the TSU agreed to Lien’s purpose of visiting China, which caused major damage to the party.
The meeting said that Su had endorsed Lien as “a champion of promoting cross-strait speech” during the trip and made remarks such as: “The Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] should also seize the opportunity to make changes,” and “the DPP should make its ‘Taiwan independence clause’ history.”
As Su’s talks were in serious violation of the TSU’s stance, the committee voted unanimously to expel Su and revoke his party membership.
TSU chairman Huang Kun-hui (黃昆輝) reported the meeting result to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), the spiritual leader of the TSU, who was quoted as agreeing with the comittee’s decision.
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