The current party charter stipulates that any party member will be deprived of party rights if the member is indicted. Accordingly, if Hsieh is indicted, he will be denied party rights and will thus lose the qualification to serve as the DPP’s presidential candidate in the 2008 race.

DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng said it would be better to revise the party charter before an indictment takes place, as he claimed that doing otherwise would “give the impression that the revision has been tailored for a specific person.”

But another DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-jin said the party will not revise the charter for a specific person, as that would “make it as decadent” as the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

The KMT recently revised its charter to bar only those who are found guilty in the third trial, instead of the original first trial, from representing the party in presidential elections, with the express purpose of allowing its presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou off the hook. Ma was indicted in February over his alleged misuse of his “special allowance fund” during his mayoral term.

Meanwhile, DPP Lawmaker Wang Tuoh, a major whip of the legislative caucus, said the party’s Central Advisory Committee will have the final say, noting that the committee has acted “consistently and rigorously in the past.” First Lady Wu Shu-jen and Ma Yung-cheng, former deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, had their membership rights suspended one-and-a-half years after their indictment late last year.

Also yesterday, the party’s Secretary General Lin Chia-lung said that the DPP has every confidence in the integrity of its presidential candidate Frank Hsieh, and there is no plan to revise the party charter.

Lin was responding to reports that Hsieh’s presidential candidacy might be in jeopardy if he is indicted over several high-profile corruption allegations during his 1998-2005 stint as Kaohsiung mayor.

The trio of cases — in connection with the MRT system in Kaohsiung, political donations and his mayoral “special allowance fund” — are being investigated by prosecutors.

Hsieh had said earlier that if he is indicted over the “special allowance fund” for his discretionary use, he will quit the presidential race, but he dismissed Sunday the idea of pulling out of the race if he is indicted over the political donation case.

Lin noted that Hsieh had explained his part in the cases at a meeting of the DPP’s Central Standing Committee, and said the DPP members believe he is innocent.

The DPP charter states that if a member is indicted for alleged illicit gains or illicit profiteering, an integrity committee will suggest that a central advisory committee punish the indicted member by suspending his or her party rights at the minimum.

Lin said he believes in Hsieh’s integrity and that the party will proceed “according to the its charter.”

He urged respect for the judicial procedure and the party system, adding that “the party has no question of discussing the revision now.”

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