In a bid to show their determination to stay away from "black-gold" politics, both the DPP and the PFP yesterday proposed punishing the parties' Kaohsiung City Councilors who were allegedly involved in the vote-buying scandal.
Chu An-hsiung (
Yesterday, the DPP called an impromptu meeting and passed three resolutions with regard to party members' alleged vote-buying in the race.
The three resolutions state: the party affirms the prosecutors' effort to investigate the case; the party will exercise disciplinary action against party members found to have accepted bribes; and the party will establish a special task force in charge of dealing with follow-up investigations.
"The DPP would like first of all to restate our affirmation on the prosecutors' effort in probing into this case. The DPP also supports the effort of the prosecutors even if it means that DPP members are found to be involved in this case," DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said at a press conference held following the meeting.
The meeting, convened by President Chen Shui-bian (
"Comrade Jan Yung-lung (
Chang added that eight other DPP Kaohsiung City councilors will face disciplinary action for expressing support for Chu.
The KMT's Evaluation and Discipline Committee is expected to hold a meeting today to investigate party members who supported Chu, director-general of the committee Chen Kang-chin (
Citing Chu's "black-gold" background and his alleged vote-buying for the speakership, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Party spokesman Alex Tsai (
According to the Local Government System Law (地方制度法), however, a city council speaker can only be recalled after he has been in office for more than a year.
The KMT's legislative caucus said it would propose a revision of the law to change the requirement.
The PFP decided late Saturday night to expel PFP Kaohsiung City Councilor Wang Ling-jiao (王齡嬌) after she was transferred to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors' Office.
The PFP is expected to hold a meeting today to deal with other negligent party members.
"We will discipline any party members found guilty by the prosecutors," PFP spokesman Hsieh Kong-ping (
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