TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Interior on Friday filed a request with the Constitutional Court to dissolve the China Unification Promotion Party.
The request was the first of its kind to be handed to the court, Liberty Times reported. The court confirmed having received the application, but did not indicate a timetable for dealing with the issue.
The ministry revealed at a news conference on July 30 that it was planning to ask for the party’s dissolution. The party helped China to form organizations in Taiwan and infiltrate groups, was spreading Chinese propaganda, and using Chinese funding for election campaigns, the ministry said. The group was using its status as a political party to cover up illegal activities, according to the ministry.
Leading members of the party had been involved in acts of violence and crimes, including attacks on democracy activists from Hong Kong, per CNA. The party founder is Chang An-lo (張安樂), also known as the “White Wolf,” a former leader of Taiwan’s Bamboo Union crime group.
The Constitutional Court will have to consider evidence of the allegations against the party, while also agreeing to disband it by a two-thirds majority, Liberty Times reported.
