The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship.
The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday.
Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin.
Photo: Bloomberg
The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were found to be holding People’s Republic of China nationality.
Citing Article 20 of the Nationality Act (國籍法), the ministry said that Taiwanese who also hold foreign nationality cannot serve as elected officials.
Those who do must relinquish their foreign nationality before assuming office and provide proof of renunciation within one year of taking office, they said.
Under Article 9 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), “people of the Taiwan Area may not hold household registration in the Mainland Area or possess passports issued by the Mainland Area,” or they would lose their Taiwanese status and civil rights.
Having a Chinese household registration means possessing a Chinese national identification card or a residence permit issued by China, the ministry said.
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