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DPP councilors urge
dual citizenship probe
By Mo Yan-chih / Staff Reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilors yesterday proposed an
investigation to determine whether Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (°qÀsÙy) or any other
city officials and councilors possess dual citizenship to prevent a repeat of
the incident involving former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Diane
Lee (§õ¼y¦w), who was a US citizen while she served in elected office.
Lee was found guilty last year on counts of fraud and forgery for failing to
renounce her US citizenship, before serving as a Taipei City councilor and later
a legislator.
The incident damaged the city council¡¦s reputation, the DPP councilors said,
adding that city officials and councilors should agree to an investigation
within three months into whether any of them possess dual citizenship or foreign
residency.
¡§Dual citizenship is a challenge to one¡¦s national identity. City councilors and
elected officials should take the initiative to clarify the issue and try to
make an investigation [into dual citizenship] a requirement in the future,¡¨
Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (²§E®Ë), of the DPP, said yesterday.
Taipei City Councilor Chuang Ruei-hsiung (²ø·ç¶¯), also of the DPP, said a recent
controversy surrounding Council of Grand Justices nominee Chen Be-yue (³¯ºÑ¥É), who
held a US green card for 18 months while serving on the Supreme Court, was
another factor prompting the DPP city caucus -proposal to launch an
investigation.
Hau said his green card has been invalid for some years, but declined to sign an
agreement to the proposed investigation.
The Department of Personnel said the city government required all elected
officials to sign a statement promising that they do not have dual citizenship
before taking office.
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