Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Lien-fu (阭盓嗏) of Taichung County became the latest lawmaker told to clean out his desk at the Legislative Yuan after the High Court yesterday found him guilty of vote-buying.
Chiang yesterday proclaimed his innocence, saying he was framed by his rival.
※I＊ve been in politics for 28 years. During this period, I have pushed for many major construction projects. My rival had no achievements, so he set the trap,§ Chiang said.
Chiang was the third KMT 〝lawmaker from the current seventh legislature to lose his seat because of vote-buying convictions, following Lee E-tin (軝錟攁) of 〝Miaoli County and Chang Sho-wen (翴鉞湞) of Yunlin County.
Lee lost his seat after the Taichung High Court last December rejected his appeal against a Miaoli District Court ruling that annulled his election on vote-〝buying charges, while Chang＊s election was annulled by the Tainan branch of the Taiwan High Court in June.
The KMT lost the two following by-elections.
Meanwhile, KMT legislators Chen Fu-hai (蠊嗏?) of Kinmen County and Liao Cheng-ching (翍櫆懪) of Taoyuan County are also standing trial on charges of vote-buying. Kinmen prosecutors indicted Chen for alleged vote-〝buying during his campaign and Chen＊s rival, Wu Cheng-dean (趠僝闉), filed a lawsuit in January requesting that Chen＊s victory be annulled.
Last month, Taoyuan prosecutors indicted Liao on vote-buying charge and requested three years and six months in prison. Prosecutors also indicted Liao＊s vote captain, Liao Ching-fu (翍杬嗏), on vote-buying charge and requested two years and six months.
KMT Legislative caucus whip Lu Hsueh-chang (涬鱹臄) yesterday said the party should hold an internal review given the string of similar cases.
In February, Lin Cheng-er (釱櫆鴥), an Aboriginal lawmaker of Amis tribe and the only lawmaker from the People First Party, was also indicted for vote-buying. Prosecutors suggested a sentence of three years and eight months for Lin.
Panning the KMT＊s ※tradition of vote-buying§ as ※evil,§ DPP acting spokesman Chuang Shuo-han (薧鉞齾) yesterday urged voters to condemn the ※KMT＊s despicable practice§ by voting against them in the upcoming year-end local government elections.
※Voters must send a message to the KMT that the public is fed up with its ＆black gold＊ and corruption practices. Taiwan＊s hard-won democracy must not be sabotaged by this dishonest party,§ he said.
RSS