KMT not to appeal Taiwan's top legislator membership ruling

The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan said Wednesday it will drop its legal action against head of the legislative body Wang Jin-pyng over his party membership, ending 17 months of controversy.

Speaking at the party's Central Standing Committee meeting, KMT chair Eric Chu said the party has revised its regulations to bring it in line with the court ruling, so it is unnecessary to continue with the lawsuit.

Chu said Wang's KMT membership was confirmed "without any doubt".

Wang was stripped of KMT membership in September 2013 by the party's disciplinary committee over allegations of illegal lobbying. Wang then moved for a court injunction to prevent his ejection from the party.

The court ruled that Wang could keep his membership until a final ruling on condition that he pay 9.38 million New Taiwan Dollars (about 315,000 U.S. dollars) as a collateral deposit.

Withdrawal of party membership would have cost Wang his seat as a KMT legislator-at-large and his position as head of the legislative body, which he has held since 1999.

Two courts ruled in favor of Wang, but the KMT filed an appeal in the name of its former chairman Ma Ying-jeou. It will not now be dealt with by the court because Chu, who took over the KMT chair in January has decided not to pursue the action in a bid to stop internal disputes.

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said he was disappointed at the party' s announcement and did not think it was the right decision.