The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday expelled four party members for running for city mayor or county commissioner as independents in the Nov. 24 nine-in-one local elections.
Members of the KMT Party Disciplinary Committee reached a unanimous decision at a meeting in Taipei to expel Chiayi City Council Speaker Hsiao Shu-li (蕭淑麗), former KMT legislator Yang Li-huan (楊麗環), former Taitung County commissioner Kuang Li-chen (鄺麗貞) and former Taipei Labor Department commissioner Su Ying-kuei (蘇盈貴), the party said in a press release.
Hsiao has declared her intention to run for Chiayi mayor as an independent, after the KMT picked former Chiayi mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) as its candidate, while Yang is to run for Taoyuan mayor as the KMT reiterated its support for its official candidate, KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖).
As for Kuang and Su, they have decided to run as independents against the KMT’s Taitung County commissioner candidate Rao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴) and Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) respectively.
According to KMT regulations, party members whose memberships are revoked or who are expelled cannot return to the party until after the statutory periods of three years and six years respectively. Those allowed to rejoin the KMT have to wait at least a year to sign up for a party primary.
Asked about the KMT’s decision, Hsiao said she does not think that being expelled from the party would affect her electoral prospects, because she believes she could win over the hearts of voters with her well-devised plans for the city.
“Being an independent would only broaden my mind and the road ahead,” Hsiao said, adding that she had submitted her application to withdraw from the party in February.
Su said he does not side with any political camp because he is a citizen and that he belongs only to the people.
Yang said she had declared her decision to quit the party a long time ago, adding that she decided to run for Taoyuan mayor after seeing how people have suffered from the longstanding blue-green feud.
As of press time yesterday, Kuang had no comment.
Additional reporting by Hsieh Wu-hsiung and CNA
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