Former National Immigration Agency (NIA) director-general Hsieh Li-kung (謝立功) yesterday announced that he is to leave the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to join the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) as secretary-general.
In a statement on Facebook, Hsieh said he has accepted an invitation from TPP Chairman and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to serve in the position.
Taiwan’s democratic politics have entered a “state of complete imbalance” because of the Democratic Progressive Party’s dominance, he wrote.
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
He said that he could “no longer stay out” of the matter, citing alleged injustices such as the suppression of different voices, the manipulation of international developments for party interests and the use of the law to serve a specific position.
In the statement, Hsieh, who represented the KMT in the 2014 and 2018 Keelung mayoral elections, thanked the KMT for nurturing him.
He said that he had hesitated to join the TPP, “but for the normal development of Taiwan’s democracy, I have no choice. I must stand up.”
Even though he would no longer be a member of the KMT, Hsieh said that he would “always be the KMT’s good friend.”
In a statement following Hsieh’s announcement, the KMT said it regrets Hsieh’s decision.
The party gave Hsieh many opportunities to perform, it said.
It is to follow the relevant procedures and address the matter at a meeting of the party’s disciplinary committee this month, it added.
KMT Keelung City Councilor Sung Wei-li (宋瑋莉), who had competed against Hsieh for the KMT’s nomination for the 2018 Keelung mayoral election, said it now looks like conceding the nomination to Hsieh had been a mistake.
Sung, who had polled higher at the time, said she had dropped out of the primary to prevent a dispute within the party from affecting the KMT.
Tsai Chih-ying (蔡智潁), head of the KMT’s Keelung chapter, said that although he regrets Hsieh’s departure to join the TPP, he respects the decision.
Hsieh was nurtured by the KMT, and is leaving it when it is struggling the most, he added.
“The KMT is like a big family,” Tsai said, adding that when a family encounters difficulties, it should work together to overcome them.
Additional reporting by Yu Chao-fu
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