This file photo shows Hsu Kun-yuan, who was the speaker for the Kaohsiung City Council in Taiwan.

The speaker for a city council in Taiwan has jumped to his death from his 17th-floor apartment, with Taiwanese officials warning against speculation about the incident before police concludes an investigation.

Hsu Kun-yuan, 63, who was the speaker for the Kaohsiung City Council in Taiwan, jumped off his apartment window and died immediately on impact on Saturday, according to police.

The incident occurred hours after Kaohsiung residents went to the polls in a recall vote to choose a mayor.

Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, from the main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favors close ties with China, lost the vote. Han had also been the KMT’s presidential candidate and lost to Tsai Ing-wen in January.

Hsu was a strong Han supporter and similarly a member of the KMT.

It was unclear whether his apparent suicide was linked to the results of the recall vote.

KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang expressed his sorrow and called for calm to prevail after the recall vote.

The sudden death of the speaker makes us worry that social antagonism has intensified, Chiang said.

But the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) called on people not to speculate about what had happened before the police completed their investigation.

SOURCE: PRESS TV