Former head of the Council of Agriculture Fan Chen-tsung announces at a press conference yesterday his decision to withdraw from the Democratic Progressive Party. CNA

TAIPEI: Two veteran members of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were expelled by the party yesterday for attending a forum on the mainland. One of the two had preemptively quit the party earlier, in anticipation of his ouster.

Former DPP legislator Hsu Jung-shu and former head of the Council of Agriculture Fan Chen-tsung, both founding members of the party, drew fire from some party members for participating in the Fifth Cross-Straits Trade and Economic Forum held in Changsha, Hunan province between July 10-12 at the invitation of the Nationalist Party (KMT).

The DPP Central Disciplinary Committee announced on Thursday that the membership privileges of the two members would be suspended for three years. Hsu and Fan appeared on a talk show that night, saying they did nothing wrong. That served to upset some committee members even further, including Tsai Chi-chang and Chiu Yi-ying who called another disciplinary meeting yesterday.

After that meeting, DPP Central Review Committee Chairman Chen Chin-te said Fan and Hsu were expelled because they had continued to "hurt the party's reputation" after the committee handed down the initial punishment.

He described the forum Fan and Hsu attended as a KMT-Communist Party of China (CPC) forum, in which the DPP has strictly forbidden members from participating.

Previously known as the KMT-CPC forum, the forum was renamed at the suggestion of Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou to encourage participation of non-KMT members from Taiwan.

Before the Central Review Committee meeting yesterday, Fan held a press conference to announce his decision to withdraw from the party.

Apologizing for causing difficulties to higher-level party members, Fan said that he will withdraw from the DPP but will not join other parties.

He urged the party to ditch its old mentality and reconsider its policy toward the mainland. "The natural exchange between people across the Straits should be guilt-free and normal," he said.

As for Hsu, who was nicknamed "grandma" because of her seniority within the party, Fan said that Hsu was not in Taiwan, so he had no information to impart on her behalf.

Fan added, however, both will exercise tolerance toward the party's decision and will not comment on it through talk shows.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/28/2009 page2)