TAIPEI: Taiwan’s parliamentary speaker scored a victory in the fight to keep his job yesterday after a court ruled against his party’s decision to expel him over claims of influence-peddling.
The Taipei district court granted Wang Jin-pyng’s request for a provisional injunction against the Kuomintang (KMT) party, allowing him to retain his party membership and therefore continue as speaker.
“It would have caused Wang significant and irreparable harm if the provisional injunction were not granted,” the court said.
A lawyer for the KMT said the party would appeal.
Wang, 72, was a KMT heavyweight known for his grass-roots influence.
His removal has sparked fears of a split within the party in a deepening political scandal that has already seen two top government officials resign.
President Ma Ying-jeou, also chairman of the KMT, had said Wang was “unfit” to head the legislature after he was accused of influencing prosecutors not to appeal in a lawmaker’s court case.
Ma described the incident as “the most shameful day” in Taiwan’s democracy.
Ma’s spokesman Lo Chih-chiang resigned on Thursday due to criticism over the case.
AFP
