The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Central Evaluation Committee yesterday voted to expel party member Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀), effective immediately, following a series of controversies. The decision also resulted in Li’s loss of her legislator-at-large seat.
Li, who took office in February as a legislator-at-large for the TPP, is the first China-born spouse of a Taiwanese to serve as a lawmaker in Taiwan. She has since been embroiled in disputes over her nationality and eligibility.
Amid an ongoing debate over her citizenship status, Li sparked further controversy on a livestream by saying that Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) had given former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) NT$7 million (US$220,230). Kao swiftly denied the claim and Li issued a public apology, but the incident continued to escalate.
Photo: CNA
Li was later accused of having reported Kao over alleged misuse of assistant funds, prompting several party officials to call on her to step down. She was subsequently referred to the committee for disciplinary action.
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), in an interview yesterday morning, said that legislators-at-large should meet supporters’ expectations and fulfill their commitments to voters, rather than pursue personal interests. Asked whether Li met that standard, Huang said: “No.”
Li arrived at TPP headquarters at about 2:30pm to address the committee. After about three-and-a-half hours of deliberation, it announced her expulsion, resulting in the loss of her legislative seat.
The TPP said the decision was based on multiple complaints filed by party members, along with evidence submitted by caucus whip Jacky Chen (陳清龍). The committee found Li’s statements and actions had seriously damaged the party’s reputation and internal cohesion, and that she had engaged in repeated misconduct.
It also said that Li had disregarded the responsibilities of public office and the trust of supporters, citing a meeting on Tuesday last week at which she proposed resigning her seat in exchange for financial compensation, an act the party said undermined ethics. Despite being advised otherwise, she continued to insist on receiving money as a condition for resigning, which the party said constituted a serious breach of party discipline and political ethics.
Based on its findings, the committee said Li’s conduct had severely damaged the party’s image and undermined public trust. It added that public office must not be treated as a bargaining tool, and that Li’s actions eroded the integrity of party politics.
The party said the decision was made in accordance with Articles 32 and 36 of its Disciplinary Review and Adjudication Guidelines (紀律評議裁決準則), with the Central Evaluation Committee unanimously voting to expel Li, effective immediately.
In response to media queries after the meeting, committee deputy head Chen Yu-cheng (陳宥丞) said that Li explicitly treated stepping down as an legislator-at-large as a bargaining chip, seeking a specific amount of compensation in return.
“This seriously violates public office ethics and damages the party’s reputation; the committee has approved Li’s expulsion,” he said.
Later yesterday, the Central Election Commission said that it had been notified by the TPP of Li’s expulsion.
The comission said that in accordance with standard procedures and the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選罷法), it would ask the Legislative Yuan to revoke Li’s status as a legislator-at-large.
Li last night on Facebook accused party headquarters and the TPP caucus of working together to pressure her into resigning through improper channels.
She said that she did not want money or a position.
“I cannot bear to harm the Taiwan People’s Party, nor do I wish for this incident to affect all Chinese spouses living and working hard in Taiwan. At the same time, I also do not want to harm former chairman Ko Wen-je, who has supported and given me opportunities along the way,” she said. “In consideration of the overall situation, I accept the Central Evaluation Committee’s decision to expel me and I will not pursue any legal action or arbitration.”
Additional reporting by Chen Chih-cheng
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