Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), yesterday in a letter to TPP members shared his thoughts following an alleged extramarital affair involving two party members.
The party on Wednesday expelled Taipei Culture Foundation deputy chief executive Chang Yi-san (張益贍), who was allegedly having an extramarital affair with TPP caucus assistant Tsai Yi-fang (蔡宜芳).
The party in a statement said that Chang was expelled because it had evidence of him discussing “negative campaign strategies” with a representative of another political party “without the authorization of the TPP.”
Photo courtesy of Taiwan People’s Party
Chang in a separate statement said that he would resign his post at the foundation after a magazine published photographs of him being intimate with Tsai during office hours.
“I told the media that I was shocked when I first heard the news and the shock slowly turned into anger. However, two days later, when I thought about it more calmly, I felt ashamed for the most part,” Ko said in the letter, which the party said was sent only to its members and not published on social media.
Chang was competent at his foundation post, which requires skills in public relations, coordination and keeping up with the latest trends in society, Ko said.
As the public questioned the foundation’s attendance management and use of funds, Ko said that he has demanded that the Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees the foundation, submit a review report, adding that he would in two weeks explain how the foundation plans to address the matter.
The party would also lay out clearer rules to regulate personal conduct in the public and private domains, Ko said.
Noting that many party members think that Tsai, who was stripped of party membership rights for one year, received a light punishment, Ko said that the TPP needs to shoulder part of the responsibility, as younger members know less about the boundaries for politicians.
“My aides have been constantly reminding me over the past year that I am losing fans, with some of them even becoming my haters. For that, I will reflect deeply on myself. I will continue to build better systems for the party and never stop changing Taiwan’s political culture,” Ko added.
Ko ended the letter with his pet phrase: “Fill your mind with virtuous intentions and do everything with all your strength.”
It is evident that some party members and fans are dissatisfied with the party’s handling of the incidents, so Ko hopes to boost morale and communicate more with them via the open letter, TPP spokesperson Ke Yu-an (柯昱安) said.
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