At a news conference in Shanghai last month, the action star called Taiwan’s disputed election “the biggest joke in the world.”

President Chen Shui-bian narrowly won the March 20 vote, but opposition candidate Lien Chan claims the vote was marred by irregularities, though he’s provided little proof.

It was unclear which aspects of the election Chan was criticizing.

Parris Chang, a senior member of the ruling DPP, said yesterday that Taiwan should punish the Hong Kong movie star Chan for his comments. “We want to propose a motion at the legislature to ask the government to ban showings of Jackie Chan’s new movie,” Chang said. The action star’s latest Hollywood film, “Around the World in 80 Days,” is set to open on the island in June.

Chang also said the actor should be barred from Taiwan and suggested Taiwanese people should consider retaliating by not traveling to Hong Kong.

However, Taipei’s performing arts union spoke out in favor of Chan.

Chan, who is married to a Taiwanese actress, is a frequent visitor to the island, where he has appeared in commercials for humanitarian causes.

“He is married to a Taiwanese woman. His love for Taiwan is unquestionable. Calls to boycott Jackie Chan are just stupid,” said Hsiao Jun-ho, a union representative.

Hsiao said that Chan’s wife was also ethnically Taiwanese — as opposed to being descended from mainland immigrants who came over with the KMT in the late 1940s — and it was unfair to say he was not a friend of Taiwan just because he had his own opinions about the election.

While sharing Chang’s concerns, some of the legislator’s colleagues were also less than enthusiastic about taking action against the popular star. “We do not agree with all statements by individual party members, but we can respect their freedom of speech,” said DPP lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang.

The performing arts union has vowed to fight political pressure and has said artists have the right to support any political party they want to, following reports that Chan and other famous artists associated with the “pan-blue” camp have been subject to intense scrutiny and boycott threats, the Chinatimes Express said.

Chang also urged supporters to e-mail and telephone Taiwan TV cable companies to tell them not to play Jackie Chan movies.

A commentary in the Chinatimes Express said previously only China had threatened to boycott movie stars, pointing to the superpower’s treatment of Richard Gere, who has publicly declared support for Tibet’s Dali Lama. The commentary also pointed out that actor Sean Connery had voiced support for Scottish independence but Queen Elizabeth II had still bestowed him with numerous awards.

The commentary questioned whether Chang’s calls were compatible with the ideal of a mature democracy.