Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
"Although feeling wronged, Mr. Ma has already cooperated with the commission's request and filled out a letter of authorization," Ma spokesman Luo Chih-chiang (
The camp presented some of the information Ma provided the CEC, including his birthdate, Republic of China (ROC) ID number, passport number, his English name on the passport and permanent address, and his latest US visa to prove that Ma's green card is no longer valid.
"Although the commission has cooperated with Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
"We demand Hsieh's camp now present solid proof if it continues to accuse Ma of holding a valid green card," he said.
Hsieh has accused Ma of holding a green card since January 1977.
The commission announced earlier this week that it would investigate the allegation.
Ma has admitted applying for and receiving permanent US residency while studying in the US in the 1970s, but says his green card was invalidated 20 years ago when he began applying for visitor's visas for his trips to the US.
Ma's campaign staff showed copies of visas from an ROC passport issued to Ma 18 years ago to prove that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) had issued a non-immigrant visa to Ma on June 29, 1990 and on four other occasions before 2006.
Luo presented Ma's latest non-immigrant visa, issued by AIT on May 19, 2006.
The records provide solid proof that Ma's green card had been invalidated years ago in accordance with US immigration laws, Luo said.
In response to Hsieh's claim that Ma had used the name "Mark Ma" for his green card, Ma spokesman Tsai Shih-pin (
Hsieh's camp called a press conference later in the afternoon to complain that Ma's team was still dodging crucial questions by failing to prove that Ma's green card was invalid and the date that it had become invalid.
A Hsieh spokesman, Hsu Kuo-yong (
Applying for a non-immigrant visa doesn't necessarily mean that a green card holder's card becomes invalidated, he said.
Hsu said Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (
When asked later by reporters, Chou said he filed the form at the AIT 18 years ago to give up his green card, but that it was fine for Ma to give up his green card passively.
Earlier yesterday on the legislative floor, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
"Presidential candidates cannot be held to the same standards as ordinary people. Higher legal requirements should apply," Chang said during a question-and-answer session with DPP Legislator Twu Shiing-jer (
Twu had initially asked CEC Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung (
The President and Vice President Election and Recall Law (
The Civil Servant Work Act (公務人員服務法) authorizes investigations of government officials who are involved in matters of national security or major national interests to determine if they have ever held foreign citizenship or residency, Twu said.
The legislator then asked the CEC chief if that law also applied to the president.
Although a president is involved in issues of national security and major national interest, under the the President and Vice President Election and Recall Law, the CEC can only investigate if a presidential candidate currently holds dual nationality, not if they had dual nationality or foreign residency in the past, Chang Cheng-hsiung said. But he said that once a candidate is elected, he or she is then covered by the Civil Servant Work Act.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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