TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) announced his withdrawal from the race for mayor of Taoyuan City Friday (Aug. 12) following National Taiwan University’s (NTU) decision to rescind his master’s degree because of plagiarism.

The move followed a rising tide of criticism targeting Lin, coming even from within the ranks of the DPP itself. An election committee headed by party chairwoman President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) held a special meeting Friday noon to discuss the controversy.

After the meeting, Lin announced he was quitting the race for the Nov. 26 election, saying he would now concentrate on defending his innocence in the NTU and Chung Hua University master’s theses plagiarism cases.

He was followed by DPP Secretary General Lin Hsi-yao (林錫耀), who said the ruling party was nominating legislator Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬), 49, who was elected in Taoyuan City, as its new candidate in the Nov. 26 mayoral election, CNA reported.

The party committee which convened Friday noon was headed by Tsai, but also included the vice president, the president, and six other senior members, including incumbent Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦).

Lin Chih-chien was elected mayor of Hsinchu City in 2014, and reelected for a second and final term in 2018 before resigning last month to concentrate on his campaign in Taoyuan.