Ma found not guilty in corruption trial

Elsewhere, DPP caucus whip Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) said Ma had set a poor example for the public by making inconsistent remarks about whether the special mayoral allowance was a public fund or part of his salary.

"US president [Richard] Nixon stepped down because he told lies in the Watergate scandal [in 1972] ... We want to tell Mr Ma that he is not qualified to be a presidential candidate because he also told lies [in his special allowance case]," Wang said.

When approached for comment, Taiwan Solidarity Union spokeswoman Chou Mei-li (周美里) said the party respected the court, but added that the verdict would only have a temporary influence on next year's presidential poll because voters would be more concerned about candidates' policies regarding the nation's future.