The head of Taiwan’s second-largest opposition party says he will take a three-month leave of absence following a scandal over his campaign fund reporting.
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je has been accused of misreporting political donations during the Taiwan presidential race in January.
At a news conference on Thursday, Ko said there were false entries totaling about 19 million New Taiwan dollars, or about 595,000 US dollars.
He apologized for disappointing his party’s supporters, and said he will ask for an independent investigation into his political funds in addition to an in-house probe.
Taiwan’s third-largest party, led by Ko, had drawn voters who are not happy with the grip of the two major parties, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the main opposition Kuomintang.
But a poll conducted by Taiwanese media this month shows likability for Ko’s party has fallen to the lowest level since its foundation, suggesting a decline in his leadership.