Taiwan Lawmakers Remove Probation Ban on Candidacy; Legislator Demands Apology

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan has removed a controversial clause that prohibited individuals on probation from running for public office. The amendment, announced on March 1, effectively acknowledges the absurdity of the previous rule, according to Wang Chia-chen, a legislator from the Kuomintang party.

Wang, who was personally affected by the clause when it disqualified her from running for a legislative seat in 2023, described the change as a "belated admission of error" rather than justice. She argued that the provision was a "crude restriction" on the right to political participation, violating constitutional principles and serving as a tool for political exclusion under the guise of law.

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The Legislative Yuan should apologize.

"The Legislative Yuan should apologize," Wang stated, emphasizing that the swift three-year reversal of the law amounted to an admission of hasty and rough legislation. She questioned who would compensate for the lost right to run for office and the diminished right of the people to choose their representatives.

Wang warned that if lawmakers face no accountability for erroneous legislation, democracy risks becoming a tool for ambition, subject to arbitrary changes that harm citizens. She called for a public apology from the Legislative Yuan to those affected and to Taiwanese society, urging a reckoning with the political damage caused by institutional errors to restore public confidence in democracy.

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The Legislative Yuan should apologize.