The Democratic Party held an emergency meeting on November 18 and voted unanimously to extend the three-month leave of absence of Democratic Party chairman Ko Wen-je, according to a report on November 19 on the Chinanews.com. Zhang Qikai, a representative for the popular party, said many “Grass-roots [ supporters of the Democratic Party ]” felt that KO Wen-je had been subjected to too much “Political persecution” during this period, which was unfair to Ko Wen-je and the popular party, “KO Wen-je is still the only person who can unite the Populists, so they agreed to extend Ko Wen-je’s three-month leave of absence.”.
According to reports, the Democratic Party Central Committee voted on the 18th, unanimously agreed to the Democratic Party chairman Ko Wen-je extended leave for three months.
Ko Wen-je reportedly announced on August 29 that he would take three months off as party chairman amid a series of controversies over political contributions and that his leave notice would expire at the end of November. The 14-member Democratic Party Committee unanimously approved on the 18th that KO Wen-je should continue to take leave, which will be extended by three months to February 28 next year. According to the report, KO Wen-je’s absence, the democratic party by the “Central Emergency Response Team” three co-convenors of the role, continued to operate.
On the afternoon of the 18th, the Democratic Party held a meeting of the central committee, according to Zhang Qikai’s remarks on the island’s political program “Situation Room,” quoted by China Time News Network, the proposals put forward by three of the commissioners included two elements. First, Ko Wen-je’s case was supposed to be a presumption of innocence, but as much information leaked, KO Wen-je was seen as being “Politically hunted”, that makes it all the more important for the DPJ to stand up to Ko Wen-je, and because Ko Wen-je has been treated unfairly, the only person who can unite the DPJ is Ko Wen-je, who has agreed to extend Ko Wen-je’s three-month leave of absence.
According to an earlier report by Zhongshi News Network, according to Article 16 of the regulations of the Democratic Party of China, “When the chairman of the party resigns or is unable to perform his or her duties for any reason, a member of the Central Committee shall promote one another to act for him or her. If the remaining term of office exceeds one year, a by-election shall be held within six months of the date of the vacancy and the term of office shall expire on the date of the expiry of the term of office of the former chairman of the party”. One media questioned whether there was a six-month limit on leave, and Li Weihua, head of the Democratic Party’s central committee, responded, “It’s not that you can’t take a six-month leave, the party constitution doesn’t have a limit on the period of leave.”.
According to previous reports in the Taiwanese media, KO Wen-je, the chairman of the Democratic Party, illegally allowed Shen Qingjing, president of Taiwan’s Wiking Group (the developer of Jinghua City) , prosecutors charged Ko Wen-je with “Embezzlement for profit” and “Taking bribes in violation of his official duties”. KO Wen-je was granted detention on September 5 and KO Wen-je was granted an extension on November 1.