DPP legislator and candidate for the Kinmen County commissionership, Chen Zau-nan (
Chen yesterday alleged that Kinmen prosecutors were biased in their investigation of members belonging to the Chen Clan Association, a faction with more than 4,500 supporters that is backing the DPP in the elections.
But Chu Chao-liang (
Chen's candidacy marks the first time the DPP has fielded a candidate for the position in a county dominated by the New Party.
Though six candidates are vying for the commissioner job, political watchers say the real contest is between the DPP and New Party.
The DPP has relied on the powerful Chen Clan Association to build support among voters in Kinmen, where one of the most sensitive issues is cross-strait affairs.
Chen visited the prosecutors' office yesterday to question Chu over the matter.
On Nov. 1, President Chen Shui-bian (
On Tuesday, Kinmen prosecutors subpoenaed several association members who are considered to be DPP vote captains.
Chen yesterday said he sus-pected the subpoenas were meant to threaten DPP supporters, noting that several members of the association had met with President Chen on Oct. 4.
He also noted that prosecutors haven't subpoenaed members of the Lee Clan Association, which is backing New Party legislator Lee Chu-feng (
Chen said Chu should investigate vote captains who are rumored to have paid for airline tickets so New Party supporters whose household registrations are listed in Kinmen can return to the islands on election day to cast their ballots.
But the prosecutor said investigations will proceed according to the evidence on hand. He also said prosecutors have been looking into the rumor of the airline tickets since last week.
In early September, Chu established a task force to investigate cases of vote-buying.
The Kinmen Prosecutors' Office has also held discussions to remind more than 100 vote captains of what vote-buying is.
"We are currently investigating more than 90 cases reported by residents," Chu said.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique