Minister reiterates nationality rules in village chief dismissal case

Taipei, Nov. 18 (CNA) Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said Tuesday that the law leaves "no room for interpretation" in the case of a village chief in Hualien County removed from her post for holding People's Republic of China (PRC) nationality.

Teng Wan-hua (鄧萬華) was elected chief of Xuetian Village in Fuli Township in 2022 but dismissed from the post on Aug. 1.

She later appealed, and on Oct. 29, the Hualien County government's Appeals Committee said that it had reversed this decision.

Liu told reporters on Tuesday that Article 20 of the Nationality Act requires all elected public officials to renounce any non-Republic of China (ROC) nationality within one year of taking office.

She said the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) relies on this legal basis when directing local governments on how to handle removals from office.

Liu added that Taiwan's current constitution maintains the same restriction for all elected officials.

The minister said the MOI has not yet received the written appeal decision from either the Hualien County government or the Fuli Township Office.

Teng, aged around 50, was born in China's Sichuan Province. She came to Taiwan and married a Taiwanese national 28 years ago and obtained a Taiwanese national identification card 17 years ago.

In January, the MOI verified that five incumbent village chiefs nationwide hold PRC citizenship and sent letters instructing township and city offices to handle the matter in accordance with the Nationality Act.

When Teng was removed from her post by the Fuli Township Office in August, she became the first village chief in Taiwan to be dismissed for failing to renounce her Chinese citizenship.