Can KMT lawmaker Chiu Feng-yao seek re-election after 3½-year sentence? New Taipei election officials respond

New Taipei City councilor Chiu Feng-yao has registered to run for re-election despite receiving a 3½-year prison sentence in a profiteering case involving his father, former Zhonghe mayor Chiu Chui-yi.

The New Taipei District Court convicted Chiu Feng-yao of profiteering and stripped him of civil rights for three years. The High Court rejected his appeal and upheld the sentence, but the ruling can still be appealed, leaving his eligibility for the 2026 local elections unresolved.

Huang Yao-chang, deputy secretary-general of the New Taipei City Election Commission, said the commission received Chiu’s registration on the morning of Sept. 2. It will send the candidates’ information to the Central Election Commission, which will check eligibility with judicial authorities.

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If the sentence becomes final, the court will notify the city election commission, and the commission will take the appropriate action based on the court’s notification.

Huang said the commission had not received a court notification about Chiu’s case. If the sentence becomes final, the court will notify the election commission, which will then act according to the contents of that notification. In general, Huang said, a final conviction for corruption or election bribery can make a registered candidate ineligible. Cases that remain appealable require a final judgment before action can be taken.

New Taipei City Council officials also said Chiu would not be removed from office while the case remains open to appeal. Council Secretary-General Chen Wang-cheng-yuan said removal would not occur at that stage. Deputy Secretary-General Kao Ming-hui said the authority to initiate removal belongs to the Executive Yuan, while any replacement would be announced by the Central Election Commission.

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For corruption or election bribery, a registered candidate does not meet the eligibility requirements.