Hsinchu:The Hsinchu County Election Commission disqualified Li Chen-hsiu from running for mayor of Zhubei, citing a rule requiring a 10-year household registration for Chinese citizens who have become Taiwanese nationals and are seeking public office.
According to Focus Taiwan, the commission based its decision on Article 21 of the Cross-Strait Act. This law mandates that individuals with previous household registrations in China must have been registered in Taiwan for at least 10 years before they can run for office. Li needed to prove she had given up her Chinese household registration by November 28, 2016, to qualify for the upcoming local elections.
The commission's decision followed an interpretation of the law by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), issued on April 16, 2026. This interpretation requires proof of relinquishment of Chinese household registration to be submitted to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to be recognized.
Li, who became a naturalized citizen of the Republic of China in 1999, did not provide this proof until March 2025. The MAC in February 2026 confirmed this timing, stating that Li failed to meet the necessary requirements to run for office until 2035.
In early 2025, the MAC began strictly enforcing the submission of proof of relinquishment, affecting many naturalized individuals. Li's situation gained attention when she was sworn in as a legislator in February 2026, sparking debate over her eligibility. The Taiwan People's Party later expelled her, citing harm to the party’s reputation.
Li has expressed her intention to challenge the commission's decision legally, asserting that her disqualification affects her constitutional rights to run for office in Taiwan.