Following January amendments to the Farmers' Association Law (農會法) intended to tackle problems of political corruption, the legislature passed similar amendments to the Fishermen's Association Law (漁會法) yesterday.
The new rules will be applicable to the upcoming fishermen's association elections in March.
Yesterday's amendments will impose tough restrictions in the associations' elections to prevent gangsters and people with criminal backgrounds from gaining power and controlling the associations.
According to the amendments, convicted racketeers released from prison within the last five years, as well as people convicted of corruption or crimes under the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例) will be prohibited from running for the positions of representative, board member, or supervisor, or from becoming the executive general of an association.
The ban also applies to people convicted of sedition or treason. Others who cannot run are those who have been jailed for crimes including vote-buying, accepting bribes, embezzlement, fraud, forgery and/or breach of trust.
Someone who has had a non-performing loan for over one year at a financial institution or has served as a guarantor for a loan that has been overdue for over one year at a fishermen's association will be prohibited from running for the position of a board member or supervisor or from becoming the executive general of an association.
"After the amendments, more rigid restrictions will be imposed on the qualifications for the position of executive general, who is like a manager of a company. In a case where he has an overdue financial obligation, his qualification for the position will be canceled even after he has been employed," explained KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (
One of the most criticized problems of farmers' and fishermen's associations is that their credit departments have often become the private treasuries of gangsters and politicians who control the associations.
Many of the grassroots organizations are controlled by local political factions and are seen as a crucial part of a party's election apparatus. The KMT has been the party most often connected to this phenomenon.
Elections for the farmers' associations began on Feb. 14 and will continue until later this month, while the elections for fishermen's associations are set to take place on March 15.
RSS