Scandal-hit Taiwan legislative chief expelled from party

Wang Jin-pyng, head of the legislative body of China's Taiwan, answers questions raised by journalists in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Sept. 11, 2013. On Wednesday morning, the Kuomintang (KMT) disciplinary meeting decided to withdraw Wang's party membership. (Xinhua)

Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) party decided on Wednesday to expel Wang Jin-pyng, head of the island's legislative body, for his alleged involvement in a lobbying scandal.

A KMT disciplinary meeting made the decision on Wednesday morning. Wang attended the meeting and submitted a statement to explain his situation.

Without KMT membership, Wang will lose his qualification as a legislator and will no longer chair the legislative body.

At a press conference before the meeting, Taiwan leader and KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said Wang is no longer suitable to lead the legislative body.

If the KMT fails to expel Wang or dismiss him from his post as a legislator, the authority of justice and law will be further undermined, Ma said at the press conference.

Last week, investigators from Taiwan's procuratorial agency revealed that Wang was suspected of lobbying Tseng Yung-fu, then head of the island's justice authority, for prosecutors not to appeal in a case involving Ker Chien-ming, a senior lawmaker of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, so that Ker could be acquitted.

Tseng resigned after the news broke.

Wang denied the accusations on Tuesday after returning from Malaysia, where he had been organizing his daughter's wedding ceremony.

Despite harsh statements made about Wang's scandal in the past few days, Ma said he had not asked Wang to step down and hoped he could resign on his own so as to protect the image of the party.

However, he said he was disappointed by Wang's response on Tuesday and "left with no option but to step forward to face a cardinal issue of right and wrong."

Wang said in his Tuesday statement that he did telephone Tseng and Taiwan's chief prosecutor, but the calls were only made to remind them of legislative body decisions on efforts to curb abuse of prosecutors' powers to appeal.

He also questioned the means of evidence collection as the information was collected through wiretapping.

In his statement, Wang warned that a partial conviction may jeopardize party unity or even cause the party to fall apart, which may eventually lead to the party's loss of governance advantages.

In response to Wang's call for party unity, Ma said this unity should be based on integrity, diligence and concern for people.

"As KMT chairman, I have to make a clear stand," he said, calling on all KMT members to take the side of justice and safeguard the KMT's reputation.

It is a painful but necessary decision to expel Wang from the party, said Ma at a meeting held by the KMT Central Standing Committee on Wednesday afternoon, calling on all party members to work together to protect the party's reputation and stability.

"I felt pity for Wang, as he made contributions to the KMT in the past few years," Ma said, adding that it is a bitter lesson for the party but also an opportunity for self-examination.

Wang said later on Wednesday that he would appeal the party's decision to strip his party membership through proper channels.