Six TPP lawmakers to resign Feb. 1 under party's two-year term rule

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) Six out of eight lawmakers from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) will give up their seats effective Feb. 1 under the party's two-year term rule, according to the Legislative Yuan's Personnel Department.

Those stepping down are Lin Kuo-chen (林國成), Lin Yi-chun (林憶君), Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷), Mai Yu-chen (麥玉珍), Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) and Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), the department said.

Documents related to the six resignations appeared among report items prepared by the Conference Department, and are expected to be included in the report agenda for the Jan. 23 plenary sitting.

Based on the TPP's 2024 at-large lawmaker list, the six people expected to replace the outgoing lawmakers include Hung Yu-Hsiang (洪毓祥), former deputy head of the Software Technology Institute of the Institute for Information Industry; Tsai Chun-chou (蔡春綢), chairperson of the Zhong-hua Sunshine Care Association; and Wang An-hsiang (王安祥), dean of the College of Social Sciences at National Chung Cheng University.

Chiu Hui-ju (邱慧洳), a professor at the General Education Center of National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences; Taichung City councilor Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍); and Lee Zhen-hsiu (李貞秀) are expected to take the remaining three legislative seats.

Huang Kuo-chang and the other outgoing lawmakers signed resignation letters earlier this month to implement the party's two-year term rule, which cuts the four-year legislative term in half and enables more TPP politicians to serve as lawmakers.

Two TPP lawmakers, Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) and Liu Shu-bin (劉書彬), are not included on the resignation list and will remain in office for now.

Former TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) previously said the party agreed to allow Chen to complete her legislative work during her term despite the two-year rule.

Liu only assumed office on March 14 last year and has not yet served a full two-year term.