KMT to appeal legislative chief's membership case

Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Party Thursday decided to appeal a court ruling that allowed Taiwan's legislative head Wang Jin-pyng to retain his KMT membership.

Issued by the Taipei District Court on March 19, the verdict means Wang can keep his positions as KMT lawmaker and chief of Taiwan's legislative authority.

A high-ranking KMT official told media that they questioned the ruling, which views a political party as a civic organization. Membership revocation for a civic organization requires the approval of over two-thirds of delegates at a conference attended by over half of the party's delegates.

The official said the ruling would make it impossible for future withdrawal of party membership, as a delegate conference attended by thousands must be held each time an individual is stripped of his party membership.

In September last year, a KMT disciplinary meeting decided to withdraw Wang's party membership after he was suspected of being involved in an illegal lobbying scandal. Wang later appealed for a court injunction to prevent the punishment.