Expelled from Party 3 Months After Resignation, Chiu Chien-fu Calls It 'Redundant': What About Lin Yi-jin and Hsu Chia-ching's Party Discipline?

The DPP's Central Review Committee handled the case of election violations in the nine-in-one elections on the 23rd. According to media reports, 22 people, including independent candidate for Changhua County magistrate Chiu Chien-fu, Taipei City councilor candidates Chen Yi-chun, and Chu Cheng-wei, were expelled from the party. Today (24th), Chiu stated that he had submitted a resignation application to the DPP's Changhua County branch on June 9, and being expelled again is 'redundant.' He also questioned whether the party central is handling party affairs or engaging in political calculations.

Chiu has served as the mayor of Changhua, a county councilor, and the chairman of the DPP's Changhua County branch for two terms, and he identifies himself as a founding member of the DPP. He said that he has walked with the DPP for decades, and if a founding member chooses to leave, the party central should first consider 'why he left,' rather than adding a 'political label' of expulsion. The DPP's Changhua County branch responded that the relevant procedures were carried out in accordance with party regulations.

Resignation application submitted 3 months ago, why was he still expelled?

When Chiu submitted his resignation application on June 9, he had already announced that he would run for Changhua County magistrate as an independent and would not join any political party in the future. According to the DPP's current member management regulations, those who voluntarily resign must submit a written explanation and undergo review if they wish to reapply for membership; those who are expelled from the party are not allowed to reapply for membership within 5 years after the decision is made, and the two have different restrictions on returning to the party.

Chiu emphasized that leaving a political party does not mean leaving the responsibility for Changhua, but rather hopes to break free from the party framework and return the county government to 'prioritizing the welfare of the county residents.' He said, 'Political parties can have their positions, but the county magistrate must face all county residents.' In the future, regardless of any political party or position, as long as the policy is beneficial to Changhua, he is willing to support and promote it.

Currently, the Changhua County magistrate election has the DPP nominating legislator Chen Su-moon, and the KMT nominating legislator Wei Ping-cheng. After Chiu's entry, it has become a multi-party competition. Chiu said that voters should have the space to choose independent candidates in addition to the blue and green camps, and he will accept the scrutiny of the county residents with his past administrative experience, execution ability, and actual results.

Pointing out Lin Yi-jin and Hsu Chia-ching, questioning whether party discipline is the same standard

Chiu also compared his own punishment with other cases within the party. He pointed out that DPP legislator Lin Yi-jin was sentenced to 7 years in prison and 4 years of deprivation of civil rights by the Tainan District Court in the first trial in July for the assistant fee case, and the case can still be appealed; Hsu Chia-ching, the chairman of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, was fined 100,000 yuan for violating the 'Public Officials' Conflict of Interest Avoidance Act'; former Changhua County councilor Chiang Hsiang-feng was given a 2-year suspension by the DPP's Changhua County branch before the case was decided.

Regarding the progress of party discipline for the above cases, Chiu claimed that Lin Yi-jin had not been suspended at the time of his post, and the relevant procedures for Hsu Chia-ching had not been made into substantive punishments. He therefore questioned that when facing judicial or illegal disputes, why some can wait and study, while others are first suspended or punished, 'Is the DPP looking at the facts of violations, or is it looking at party factions?'

Chiu said that since he has chosen to leave, he will not be entangled in party grudges; the focus of this election should return to the future development of Changhua. He shouted, 'Changhua moves forward, this time, let the choice return to the hands of the county residents; the next step of Changhua, let the people decide.' Regarding being expelled from the party, Chiu said at the end, 'The DPP should calculate its own political accounts, and I want to give the people of Changhua a beautiful future.'