The DPP must answer the public's questions if it wants to maintain its reputation as a consistent opponent of " black gold" politics -- an image the party has long enjoyed -- in today's Kaohsiung city council speakership and vice speakership elections.
If independent councilor Chu An-hsiung (
Because of Chu's controversial image as a "black gold" politician, DPP Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (
Chu, a former Control Yuan member, is from Kaohsiung's so-called "three big families," the Chu, the Chen and the Wang families, whose influence draws strength from their deep-rooted networks in Kaohsiung's political and business circles.
Chu's controversial image is highlighted by his involvement in the high-profile Feng An Metal Company (
As both the company head and a key figure in alleged illegal financial transactions, prosecutors recommended in May 2000 that Chu be sentenced to a seven-year prison term on charges of evading NT$350 million in taxes and using dummy companies to inflate his company's performance.
But the trial has dragged on for years, and political observers have reason to believe Chu has a crucial interest in winning the speakership.
"If he was elected, he wouldn't have to face these charges. This is an established practice among black gold politicians," said a senior reporter in Kaohsiung who asked not to be named.
Media speculation has suggested that candidates are offering NT$10 million for a speakership vote and between NT$3 and NT$5 million for a vice speakership vote, and that councilors who accept the bribe would have to show their ballots during the election to receive payment.
In response to the allegation, Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office said yesterday that the office was well informed about the intended vote-buying and ballot-showing, and pledged to monitor the whole election process today.
Among the Kaohsiung City Council's 44 seats, the DPP has 14, the KMT controls 12, while the PFP has seven and the TSU has two. In addition, independents have nine seats.
Since the DPP and the TSU councilors don't control a majority of the seats, DPP Chairman Chen Shui-bian (
Surprisingly, in a closed-door meeting within the DPP city councilors on Sunday, Chu turned out to be the candidate supported by a majority of the DPP caucus members.
Media speculation suggested that Chu and the DPP caucus struck a deal that Chu would help secure nine votes from non-DPP councilors for Chang as the vice speaker in exchange for the DPP caucus' support for Chu in his speakership bid. In addition, Chu would join the DPP after election day.
If the deal really works, the DPP would gain control over the city council, given that the number of pan-blue seats outnumbers pan-green ones.
The DPP's pan-green partner, the TSU, came out swinging. On Monday, the TSU Central Standing Committee passed lawmaker Lo Chih-ming's (
"Not only are the KMT and PFP are involved in `black gold' politics, the DPP has also sunk into the `black gold' swamp. Therefore, we have decided to go our own way," Lo told the Taipei Times.
The DPP's Kaohsiung chapter agreed with the TSU. On Monday, the chapter appealed to DPP headquarters, seeking to overrule the caucus' decision.
"The DPP Kaohsiung City Council caucus' deal is against the public's expectations of our party and against the party's anti-black gold image," said Chao Wen-nan (趙文男), director of the DPP chapter.
Two DPP lawmakers from Kaohsiung also tried hard to push the DPP to put pressure on the DPP city council caucus.
Yesterday morning, more than 50 angry DPP supporters burned their membership cards in front of the DPP's Kaohsiung headquarters.
Saying their constituency service centers were flooded by phone calls, four DPP city councilors yesterday morning announced that they would not follow the caucus' decision and will vote their conscience instead.
Yesterday afternoon, Chu handed over his application form for DPP membership to implement his promise to the DPP Kaohsiung city council caucus, but the DPP Kaohsiung chapter suspended his application.
"We will not handle his application for the time being because of the controversy surrounding his bid," Chao Wen-nan said.
Though DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
In an effort to impose party discipline upon the DPP city councilors in today's election, Chang Chun-hsiung will witness and monitor the election in the Kaohsiung City Council today.
But observers are pessimistic about Chang's effort.
"In Kaohsiung, the DPP has been corrupted to a great extent over the past years. Here, party discipline does not work. Only money talks. Money decides who will be elected, " the senior reporter said.
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