DPP's Chiu Yi-ying's kick on justice minister's door causes political stir

Blame it on a fragile door or an angry female lawmaker's physical strength.

A kick from an opposition lawmaker that knocked a panel off the office door of Taiwanese Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu has recently caused a political stir on the island.

While Chiu Yi-ying, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, could face a lawsuit, analysts said her action could best explain why Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has been able to avoid becoming a lame duck, despite mounting criticism of his administration.

Chiu, 42, caught the public eye when television camera crews captured her powerful kick, which left a hole in Tseng's office door on April 19, as she and a group of DPP lawmakers attempted to barge in.

Footage of her kick was broadcast almost non-stop that day on various cable news channels, triggering widespread debate over whether or not it was proper for legislators to charge into government ministers' offices.

At issue was the abrupt transfer of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian to a prison hospital by the justice ministry that morning, a move denounced by Chiu and her DPP colleagues as trampling on the former leader's human rights.