TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Wednesday (March 4) decided to expel Kaohsiung politician Cheng Hsin-chu (鄭新助), a strong supporter of former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Cheng was one of several politicians listed for discussion and eventually expelled Wednesday due to their support for other parties during the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections, UDN reported.
As a supporter of former President Chen, Cheng, a longtime member of the Kaohsiung City Council, joined the list of legislative candidates for the Taiwan Action Party Alliance (TAPA, 一邊一國行動黨). The group was a new movement founded just last year by close allies of the former president.
TAPA also invited Chen himself to feature on their list, but the authorities ruled he was ineligible. He has been out on medical parole after a 20-year prison sentence for corruption.
The DPP’s Central Review Committee ruled Wednesday that Cheng had violated party rules by running for the Legislative Yuan for another political group.
He was not the only one, as several other DPP members who had run for office for other parties were also expelled Wednesday; however, the case against media personality Wu Tzu-chia (吳子嘉) was put aside for the time being. Wu had been accused of slandering the DPP government beginning a year ago, but recently he changed his tune, UDN quoted Central Review Committee members as saying.