TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The issue of vice presidential candidate Lai Pei-hsia's dual nationality has captured the nation's attention immediately following Foxconn Founder Terry Gou's announcement of his running mate.
According to Article 27 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, individuals holding the nationality of a foreign country cannot apply to be registered as candidates for President or Vice President.
With American citizenship, Lai's eligibility as Gou's running mate has sparked public attention, with many concerned that she might not waive it before the registration deadline for presidential election candidates expires.
This leaves only 70 days for Lai to abandon her U.S. citizenship; however, the process of renouncing U.S. citizenship is complicated and lengthy, with the average waiting time being 3 to 6 months.
To the surprise of many, Gou's campaign team was allegedly unaware of Lai's dual-citizenship issue before the announcement of the vice-presidential candidate.
In response, Gou's campaign spokesperson, Huang Shih-hsiu, stated that Lai would provide the necessary documents to renounce her US citizenship as quickly as possible, and she would personally explain the situation to the public in the near future.
Huang also cited the precedent of James Soong's running mate, Lin Ruey-shiung, who renounced his US citizenship within two months after applying in 2011.
However, many doubt whether the administrative process from 12 years ago can be applied.
As time ticks away, whether Lai will be able to abandon her US citizenship before the presidential election registration deadline remains a pressing question for Gou.