This Monday, TPP Legislator Lee Chen-hsiu (李貞秀), whose eligibility to serve is still under dispute, made her debut at the Legislature. She did so alone, as officials from the Interior Ministry refused to take the stand for questioning. The following day, Lee said she respects the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) plans to file a lawsuit to nullify her election, while also calling on the committee convener to respect her rights. 

Lee was born in China and moved to Taiwan in 1993 after marrying a Taiwanese national. In February, she became the first Chinese spouse to become a legislator while still holding Chinese citizenship. 

Per Taiwan’s nationality law, Lee must submit proof of loss of her Chinese nationality within one year of taking office or otherwise face dismissal. According to the law, Lee should have renounced her nationality before taking office. The CEC has said they will decide by April 17 whether to file suit to invalidate her election on these grounds. 

According to Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳), “As of now, we have not received any official documentation showing that she has renounced her PRC citizenship. Given that her status remains in question, we consider her an ordinary member of the public rather than a legislator with public authority.”

The Interior Ministry and Defense Ministry have said that they will handle any future questioning appearances with the Cabinet’s guidance, in line with the principle of administrative unity.