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DPP demands delay in irrigation association poll

Water and politics: * DPP lawmakers said that heads of irrigation associations are known to be crucial vote captains for the KMT during elections. * The lawmakers says the KMT took advantage of its majority in the previous legislature to push through amendments to smooth the re-election of certain candidates.

DPP lawmakers yesterday de-manded that the Council of Agri-culture (COA) postpone elections for irrigation association chairmen, scheduled for May 4, saying the KMT had passed unconstitutional amendments regulating the elections in the previous legislative session.

Regulations now say that candidates to head the 15 local irrigation associations, which regulate the irrigation of farmland, must have worked for a government agency or irrigation association for at least 10 years to be eligible.

The DPP lawmakers, Charles Chiang (江昭儀), Peng Tien-fu (彭添富), Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) and Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), argued that this restriction violates the principle of equality, the right of election and the right of people to hold public office.

The lawmakers have requested a constitutional interpretation from the Council of Grand Justices on the KMT amendment to the Law Governing the Organization of the Irrigation Associations.

Chiang said that heads of the irrigation associations are known to be crucial vote captains for the KMT during elections and the party had taken advantage of its majority in the previous legislature to push through the amendment to smooth the re-election of certain candidates.

The KMT's move was obviously targeted at the 2004 presidential race, Chiang said.

Tsai said the unfairness of the new eligibility criteria is demonstrated by the fact that the 11 candidates running in the associations' elections are standing uncontested.

Peng said the KMT had also blocked a COA attempt to amend the law to bar people with criminal records from being candidates. Peng said the KMT was trying to perpetuate "black gold" politics to protect its interests.

Tsai also said the fairness of the elections could not be assured when the register of voters was in such a mess. For example, he said, dead people are often sent notification of the elections.

The lawmakers said the elections should be postponed at least until the constitutional interpretation has been given and the anti-black-gold amendment has been passed.

In response, the KMT accused the DPP of interfering in the elections for political reasons.
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