At the 23rd annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference last week, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) attended the event in place of party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who has been detained due to his alleged involvement in several corruption cases.
However, Huang had already resigned from the TPP’s Central Standing Committee, which also suspended her for three years and removed her from the committee’s party caucus.
The TPP was at a loss for what to do, radio talk show host Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) said.
The party responded by saying that Huang remains a party member and legislator, so there is nothing wrong with her standing in for Ko at the conference, urging others not to make a fuss.
What is the point of her suspension if she is allowed to handle the party’s business and represent the party at a conference abroad?
Of course Huang is a party member and legislator. The problem is she has been suspended. She has no right to participate in the party’s affairs, so how is she allowed to stand in for the party’s chairman in an official visit abroad and at an important meeting? What is the point of her suspension?
Although this is an internal affair for the TPP, which outsiders are not supposed to interfere with, it is the second-largest opposition party in Taiwan. It is also a public body that is subject to public scrutiny.
As the saying goes, “there are national laws and family rules.” That also applies to a party that is supposed to have its own system and rules.
If a party member is suspended, the member is prohibited from participating in any of its affairs, including representing its chairperson at a meeting. Yet, the TPP still did so even though it was fully aware that it did not make any sense, arguing that Huang is still a party member. If it is not sophistry, then what is?
Allowing a suspended party member to represent the chairman is not only confusing to outsiders, but also controversial for party members. Why does the TPP invite all these troubles?
Allowing a suspended party member to represent the party chairman has exposed another serious problem: the lack of talent in the party.
Why does it have to be Huang who attends the conference? It could have been TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) or former TPP legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如). Some other TPP legislators or local officials would have been a better choice than Vivian Huang.
The TPP has had to elaborate on what a suspended member can and cannot do, which is embarrassing and chaotic.
A party member being suspended is like a citizen being disenfranchised, which means they are not allowed to vote. Despite suspending Vivian Huang, the TPP gave her the right to represent its chairman. It is illogical, unreasonable and hardly convincing. It is just a trick to cover up the party’s incompetence.
Tsai Jr-keng is retired elementary-school principal.
Translated by Fion Khan
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