TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Friday (Oct. 14) it was disqualifying pop singer Hsieh Ho-hsien (謝和弦) from running for a seat on the Taipei City Council in the Nov. 26 elections.

The singer, aka R-chord, said he disagreed with the motivation for the decision and would therefore file an appeal. Hsieh had announced a platform calling for the legalization of marijuana, prostitution, and modified vehicles on city streets.

The CEC said he had failed to complete the conditions resulting from a four-month prison sentence for illegal drugs issued by the New Taipei City District Court on June 23. While he could obtain the substitution of the jail term for a fine at the rate of NT$1,000 ($31) a day, Sept. 6 documents from the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office showed he had not yet met those conditions, according to the CEC.

Hsieh was one of seven candidates for city or county council seats across the country who were disqualified, CNA reported. All 95 candidates for city mayor or county commissioner will be allowed to run in the elections.

In a response on his Facebook page, Hsieh said he would file an appeal against his disqualification because by election day, Nov. 26, the terms of his sentence will have been fulfilled. If the CEC rejected the appeal, he said he would run for legislative seats in the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts of Taipei City.