The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) national congress yesterday made no changes to its requirements that legislators-at-large step down after two years, despite calls to abolish the policy.
TPP founder and former chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) introduced the “two-year clause” ahead of last year’s elections, saying it would allow more people to represent the party and provide legislators experience when seeking other public offices.
However, after Ko was indicted on corruption charges in December last year and with a lack of experienced lawmakers, many TPP members have called for the clause to be abolished or suspended.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Critics of the rule have said that requiring eight at-large lawmakers to resign in January next year could weaken the party ahead of local elections, especially amid the investigation into Ko.
During the national congress in Taoyuan, five motions were proposed regarding the clause, seeking to suspend it, abolish it or strictly enforce it. They were later merged into a single motion for discussion.
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the party followed the directive set by Ko and that any changes should be decided by the former chairman.
The congress then approved by acclamation a decision to keep the clause for the time being.
Huang said that under Ko’s leadership, the party, which marked its sixth anniversary yesterday, won 3.02 million party votes last year.
The party has grown significantly to 32,546 members, after starting with only 100 people five years ago, he said.
“The most important task is to continue growing and strengthening the party, bringing in more talent and sending them to serve voters in local communities,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after the congress, Huang said that “the TPP has faced attacks and some have tried to create divisions within the party, but such attempts have never succeeded because the TPP is a party with conviction, values, principles and a system.”
Over the past year and a half, the party has pushed forward bills in the legislature that the Democratic Progressive Party had promised, but failed to deliver, and in doing so the TPP fulfilled the public’s expectations, he said.
As the two-year clause remains in place, current TPP legislators-at-large would step down from the role on Jan. 31 next year, including Huang himself.
Among the replacement candidates for the TPP legislators-at-large are Institute for Information Industry Software Research Institute deputy director Hong Yu-hsiang (洪毓祥); Chinese Sunshine Promotion and Care Association chairwoman Tsai Chun-chou (蔡春綢); National Chung Cheng University College of Social Sciences dean Wang An-hsiang (王安祥); Taipei Nursing Health University General Education Center professor Chiu Hui-ju (邱慧洳); Taichung City Councilor Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍); and former legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信).
Additional reporting by CNA
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