The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed legal revisions to the election code to increase punishments for vote-buying, and agreed to go into recess three days before the Dec. 3 local government polls.
After the amendments are signed into law by the president, they will be implemented in time for next month's elections.
After almost three hours haggling behind closed doors, lawmakers agreed to endorse draft amendments to the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法), after Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) ordered a recess to conduct cross-party negotiations on the proposal, which was moved forward from 18th to first place on the order of discussion.
Under the amendments, candidates convicted of bribing their rivals to drop out of the race will be subject to a prison sentence of three to 10 years and a fine of between NT$2 million (US$59,492) and NT$20 million.
The current maximum jail sentence is five years and a fine of up to NT$6 million.
Those convicted of bribing eligible voters to cast their vote for a particular candidate or to relinquish their right to vote will face a jail term of three to 10 years or a fine of between NT$1 million and NT$10 million.
At present, the maximum jail sentence is five years or a fine of between NT$400,000 and NT$4 million.
Lawmakers also agreed to impose a prison sentence of one to seven years and a fine of between NT$1 million and NT$10 million for those convicted of bribing voters belonging to a group or institution to cast their vote for a particular candidate or relinquish their right to vote, as well as to launch or drop a signature drive to impeach an elected candidate.
The current maximum jail sentence is five years and a fine of between NT$500,000 and NT$5 million.
A new clause will also be added to the legislation, which will impose a jail term of between three and 10 years and/or a fine of NT$2 million to NT$20 million on those convicted of vote-buying in speaker or vice-speaker elections for city, county or municipality councils, as well as chairman or vice-chairman elections for township and village representatives.
In addition, legal revisions to the Futures Transaction Tax Act (期貨交易稅條例) also cleared the legislature yesterday, which will lower futures transaction tax rates, a move expected to spur more futures trading.
Also passed by the legislature yesterday were amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Punishment Law (道路交通管理處罰條例), which will relax the restrictions on drivers who have had their license suspended.
Currently, drivers of automobiles who have their driver's license suspended must have all their licenses for other kinds of motor vehicles revoked.
The Coroner's Law (法醫師法) was also passed into law, while the Soldier's Marriage Act (軍人婚姻條例) was abolished.
The legislature also gave the go-ahead to amendments to the Law on Local Government Systems (
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