The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said that all government officials should be investigated to discover whether they have dual citizenship if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus insists on launching a probe into the citizenship status of all legislators.
KMT caucus acting Secretary-General Hsieh Kuo-liang (
Hsieh made the remarks after the DPP filed a proposal during the legislature's Procedure Committee on Tuesday saying that the citizenship status of all legislators should be investigated.
Hsieh said that in that case all public officials, including former minister of economic affairs Christine Tsung (宗才怡) and former minister of finance Ho Chih-chin (何志欽), should be subject to the same scrutiny.
The Nationality Law (
Government officials who are found to have foreign nationality are to be replaced, the law stipulates.
Ho assumed office on July 4, 2006, at which time he still possessed US citizenship. He gave up the citizenship on Oct. 4 of the same year.
Tsung was sworn in on Feb. 1, 2002. She told the media before assuming office that she would give up her US citizenship.
Hsieh was approached for comment after the legislature failed to reach a consensus as to whether to accept the DPP caucus' proposal to complete the investigation into all lawmakers within one month.
The DPP's proposal was submitted before the March 22 presidential election. It was initiated after the Chinese-language Next magazine alleged that KMT Legislator Diane Lee (李慶安), who admitted to obtaining US citizenship when working in the US in 1991, still owns dual citizenship.
The KMT caucus initiated another proposal yesterday to include all public officials in the probe, with a deadline for the procedure to be complete within three months.
Lee yesterday urged the DPP not to "take revenge on" the KMT by targeting her.
She said that she relinquished her US citizenship when she began serving as a government official 14 years ago.
"I will provide related documentation for investigation and will cooperate if the legislature decides to probe the nationality status of all lawmakers," she said.
The DPP caucus accused the KMT of trying to cover up the fact that Lee possesses dual citizenship.
"It is obvious that the KMT is trying to buy more time," DPP caucus whip William Lai (
Deputy whip Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) said that according to the Council of Grand Justices' interpretation, those who have passed national exams and received paychecks from the government should be regarded as "civil servants."
"If that is the case, the KMT was asking for more than 600,000 staff to be investigated," Pan said. "I wonder if the legislature is capable of finishing that project, since it is obviously a big one."
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