New Party legislator Hsieh Chi-ta's (
But critics said although the strategy may relieve some of the intense pressure on Soong (
As soon as Hsieh publicly announced on Friday she would set up a special task force to investigate the allegations of financial misdeeds -- saying Soong should talk less about money and more about policy -- Soong almost immediately restored scheduled rallies and other events meant to boost his signature drive, which began Saturday in Hualien (花蓮) County.
Before Friday, Soong had only appeared in public to defend himself or to attack his detractors.
At his first rally on Dec. 20, after KMT legislator Yang Chi-hsiung's (
"In the controversy surrounding the Chung Hsing Bills Finance accounts, both myself and the KMT are the interested parties, but now, the KMT government seems to be playing the role of judge and jury at the same time," Soong said.
"The KMT is already combined with the current government administration, and has paved the way for the whole `truth' using bogus information.
"The KMT has degraded the finance ministry into nothing more than a tool for high ranking officials," Soong added.
In the cross-fire between both the KMT and the government, Soong said he has no option but to delegate what he said was a "third party" to conduct an "impartial" survey regarding the alleged money scandal.
The main reason for recommending Hsieh, Soong said, was for her clean-cut image and legal expertise, since Hsieh has served as a judge for over 10 years.
But opposition critics and academics took issue with Soong's choice, challenging both the motives and actions Hsieh's delegation have taken.
DPP National Assembly deputy Chiang Chao-I (
"Hsieh should not blow her delegation out of proportion. There is no legitimate basis for which Hsieh can claim she is acting on behalf of the public to seek the truth," Chang said.
DPP legislative caucus leader Chen Chi-mai (
"Soong said he has fully authorized Hsieh to probe financial transactions during the past eight years. But he appears to have conveniently ignored the fact that Hsieh is inclined to favor his campaign,'' Chen said.
Chen said based on that logic, the invitation should be open to others.
"Can the DPP then team up with academics to ask Soong if they can also assist in the inquiry?" Chen asked.
Andrew Yen (
"Is there any room for justice to survive here?" he asked, suggesting Hsieh has already abused her office's authority.
"First of all, as a legislator, according to current law, she has no investigative authority, and has no right to demand that the finance ministry provide any materials," Yen said.
"Even if she had the authority, as a personal representative for Soong she could never force the finance ministry to hand over transaction data. On the contrary, finance officials are fully justified in sticking to their principles of privacy,'' Yen added.
Yen also pointed out that since Hsieh has specialized in the legal profession, she of all people should restrain herself from going beyond what the law allows.
Yen said it is obvious from listening to Soong that his strategy is to try to turn the spotlight away from the disputed financial dealings and away from the question of whether he broke the the law.
However, even if Soong can divert the focus for the time being, he will still be forced to face what appears to be a solid legal accusation from either the KMT or the Investigation Bureau.
Both groups have now become involved in the investigation process in one step, while the KMT has said it is considering the possibility of suing Soong for illegally taking party property (
Still, according to the latest opinion poll conducted by Soong's own camp, which continues to insist the entire scandal was masterminded by both the KMT and finance officials, has indicated their responses have had some positive effect, and that Soong could maintain his core base of support of roughly around 30 percent.
"After Soong's second press conference on Dec. 17 night, his popularity rate returned to the lead position again [among the three leading candidates]. We have every reason to believe things will get better and better," said one campaign official, who preferred anonymity.
‘ABUSE OF POWER’: Lee Chun-yi allegedly used a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon and take his wife to restaurants, media reports said Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) resigned on Sunday night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by the media. Control Yuan Vice President Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) yesterday apologized to the public over the issue. The watchdog body would follow up on similar accusations made by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and would investigate the alleged misuse of government vehicles by three other Control Yuan members: Su Li-chiung (蘇麗瓊), Lin Yu-jung (林郁容) and Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋), Lee Hung-chun said. Lee Chun-yi in a statement apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a
Taiwan yesterday denied Chinese allegations that its military was behind a cyberattack on a technology company in Guangzhou, after city authorities issued warrants for 20 suspects. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier yesterday issued warrants for 20 people it identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). The bureau alleged they were behind a May 20 cyberattack targeting the backend system of a self-service facility at the company. “ICEFCOM, under Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, directed the illegal attack,” the warrant says. The bureau placed a bounty of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392) on each of the 20 people named in
The High Court yesterday found a New Taipei City woman guilty of charges related to helping Beijing secure surrender agreements from military service members. Lee Huei-hsin (李慧馨) was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), making illegal compacts with government employees and bribery, the court said. The verdict is final. Lee, the manager of a temple in the city’s Lujhou District (蘆洲), was accused of arranging for eight service members to make surrender pledges to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in exchange for money, the court said. The pledges, which required them to provide identification
INDO-PACIFIC REGION: Royal Navy ships exercise the right of freedom of navigation, including in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, the UK’s Tony Radakin told a summit Freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region is as important as it is in the English Channel, British Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said at a summit in Singapore on Saturday. The remark came as the British Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, is on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region as head of an international carrier strike group. “Upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and with it, the principles of the freedom of navigation, in this part of the world matters to us just as it matters in the
RSS