The KMT yesterday came out in support of members accused of vote-buying in the recent election of the chairman for the Provincial Farmers' Association (
On Monday, several DPP law-makers alleged that KMT officials had attempted to use cash to influence the outcome of the election for the association's chairman, who wields hefty influence over local politics.
The allegation has irked the KMT, which is scrambling to alter its image as a corrupt political party -- an image some believe cost the party the presidential election last year.
"It's deplorable that the DPP should allow its lawmakers to abuse their speech immunity and fabricate charges against rival parties," KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
"The practice, if left unchecked, marks a tragedy for democracy."
At stake are five to 10 legislative seats of the Provincial Farms' Association and its 200-plus branch offices nationwide are poised to help secure in December, said DPP lawmaker Lin Chung-mo (林重謨).
According to Lin, leaders from these associations are well aware of how to make use of illegitimate funds, and have used such resources in campaigns before.
But KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (
Lin and several other DPP lawmakers alleged on Tuesday that the KMT had attempted to have Hsiao Teng-shih (蕭登獅),former chairman of the Chiayi City Farmers' Association, help persuade members of the provincial association to back KMT candidates for the positions of association chairman and executive general.
According to the legislators, Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Legislative Yuan speaker and KMT vice chairman, and Chao Shou-po (趙守博), director of the KMT's Organization and Development Committee, each visited Hsiao separately on April 15.
Hsiao, they said, was offered NT$40 million by both of them, but the offers were turned down.
The DPP legislators alleged that the KMT held a meeting to discuss the matter on April 23, when KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
On the same night, they alleged, Hsieh Kuo-ku (
The party spokesman urged the DPP leadership to discipline its "unruly" members, adding that his accused colleagues would consider taking the matter to the courts.
In reply, Lin, one of the four DPP lawmakers who brought the matter to public attention, said that he would welcome judicial intervention.
"The charge we made is based on solid ground," he held. "The investigators can then attest to our integrity."
Acting on tips, Lin and colleagues have accused the KMT of seeking to control the farmers' association by providing NT$150 million for eligible voters before the election on April 25. The bribe offer failed and the reformist camp claimed victory in the end.
To demonstrate its commitment to reform, the KMT published its nominees for legislative seats from Taipei County.
The roster consists of 12 people, most of whom are incumbent lawmakers. But Liu Ping-wei (劉炳偉), who has been plagued by financial problems, was not nominated.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
RSS