The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus has withdrawn a motion calling on National Taiwan University (NTU) to defer the appointment of Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) as its president over plagiarism allegations.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) on Saturday said that the proposal was withdrawn on Friday.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said it welcomed the move, but asked the DPP to apologize for smearing Kuan’s academic reputation.
The DPP caucus on Tuesday proposed the resolution in an attempt to prevent Kuan, who served in the Cabinet under then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) from 2013 to 2015, from taking up the position.
The resolution demanded that the Ministry of Education ask the university’s selection committee to clarify allegations that Kuan had plagiarized a student’s master’s thesis.
However, it was not put to a vote, as there was no consensus between DPP and opposition lawmakers.
The DPP caucus pulled the resolution out of respect for university autonomy and academic independence after NTU issued an official statement rejecting the plagiarism allegations, DPP caucus secretary-general Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) said yesterday.
The ministry fulfilled its responsibility by requesting that the school investigate the case and clarify relevant questions, she said.
The university said a conference paper coauthored and presented by Kuan did not violate academic principles because the paper was not a formal publication.
The parts Kuan was accused of plagiarizing were actually taken from one of Kuan’s unfinished papers by the student, the university added.
The withdrawal of the resolution should mean that the university can proceed with the appointment, but a similar motion brought by the New Power Party could still be put to a vote, KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said, adding that political interference in the university’s presidential election should not be allowed.
People First Party Legislator Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔) also called on political parties, the government and the military not to try to influence universities.
Kuan is to be sworn in as NTU president on Thursday.
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