KMT at its dirty tricks again
The Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office is investigating the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) over alleged “benefits exchanges” of at least NT$30 million (US$913,075) during the process of replacing former KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱).
January’s presidential campaign has not even officially started and we are suddenly cast back to the month leading up to the 2012 presidential election, when the KMT ambushed its opponents with allegations that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was involved in the “Yu Chang” (宇昌) case.
Fast forward to the present day, and those allegations, made by the former head of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, Christina Liu (劉憶如), have been ruled by the Taipei District Court to be unfounded and Liu has been ordered to pay Tsai NT$2 million in compensation.
The KMT were allowed to smear its opponent’s name and affect the result of the election, and thereby burdened the Taiwanese with another four years of incompetent governance under the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). It was a pretty good deal for the KMT, all things considered, a paltry NT$2 million for another four years in power. That is peanuts compared with the NT$30 million they apparently feel Hung’s ousting was worth.
Even more shameful is that after Liu had made the allegations, those who pursued the issue were none other than Hung, former Executive Yuan secretary-general Lin Yi-shih (林益世), KMT Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元), who recently survived a recall vote, and KMT Legislator Nancy Chao (趙麗雲).
Because of their “good work” in the Yu Chang allegations, Hung was promoted to deputy legislative speaker and KMT vice chairperson soon after the 2012 election, Lin was made Executive Yuan secretary-general after losing his legislative seat, Chao was nominated for a member of the Examination Yuan and Liu was made minister of finance.
These people were all rewarded for smearing Tsai and until now only Liu has been brought to account. The KMT is now up to its old tricks for this election. Do not let it get away with it again.
Chuang Hsiung-chi
Taichung
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