TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TPP Miaoli branch Chair Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) on Tuesday urged TPP Legislator Li Chen-hsiu (李貞秀) to refrain from making public statements following a series of controversies.
Li recently alleged that Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安) received NT$7 million (US$219,416) from former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who was recently convicted of bribery and embezzlement, per Mirror Media. She later acknowledged that she had confused the figures and sources of the funds and apologized to those implicated.
Li’s remarks were reported to the TPP’s disciplinary committee, which convened on Monday to address the complaints.
In response, Lai said Li’s comments had harmed Ko and Kao while also damaging the party’s image, per Tai Sounds. She urged Li to focus on advancing the party’s key policies, adding that she believed Li had not met those expectations. Lai also called on the disciplinary committee to handle the matter carefully.
TPP Hsinchu County Council candidate Hsu Sheng-ling (徐勝凌) also criticized Li, saying her remarks could make political participation by Chinese spouses less acceptable to the public. He argued that her actions undermined the party’s efforts to amplify their voices.
TPP disciplinary committee member Chen Yu-cheng (陳宥丞) said party officials should avoid giving opponents ammunition, particularly given the party’s current challenges, per TVBS. After Monday’s meeting, committee chair Li Wei-hua (李偉華) said further discussions would be needed before determining any disciplinary action.
During the meeting, multiple committee members reportedly urged Li to step down, but she rejected the proposal, arguing that party rules allow for suspension but not removal from office, per China Times. The committee’s decision to delay a ruling may effectively leave the outcome in Ko’s hands, as Li has previously said she would remain in her position unless he asked her to resign.
A recent Z.Media survey found that 8.5% of respondents identified as TPP supporters, down 2.2 percentage points from February. When asked about Li’s fitness for office, only KMT and TPP supporters viewed her as fit, with net positive margins of 5.5% and 4.2%, respectively.
Across all other demographic categories, a majority of respondents said Li was unfit to serve as a legislator. The poll was conducted March 27–28 among 1,088 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.97 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
