Party camps split on handling of Kaohsiung scandal

The DPP, the TSU and academic groups vowed yesterday to protest before the Lunar New Year to demand the resignation of Kaohsiung City Councilors involved in the vote-buying scandal in the council's speakership election on Dec. 25.

However, the pan-blue alliance yesterday urged the ruling DPP to revise the Law on Local Government Systems (地方制度法) to allow the recall those politicians rather than relying on public anger to get the job done.

"We believe that no one in the country will tolerate those councilors who had taken bribes to stay on and represent the people of the city," Taiwan South Society executive director Cheng Cheng-yu (鄭正煜) said.

"It would be a great shame if this corrupt council is allowed to exist in our country," Cheng said. "We urge the public to join us in displaying people power, which may be the only measure to force those dirty politicians to step down."

On Friday, DPP deputy secretary-general Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) spoke with Cheng about how to bring about a second election and the two agreed that public anger may bring pressure to bear on the councilors.

Several pro-independence groups, led by the Taiwan South Society, issued a statement yesterday saying that the nation's four major political parties should demonstrate their will to reform by protesting the vote-buying scandal.

"It would be a milestone for Taiwan's political development to create a radical change when it comes to vote-buying," the statement said. "People power can bring an opportunity to reform our democratic system, such as revising laws to downsize all cities' and counties' councils."

The groups suggested that size of the council be between six and 23 seats.

The KMT and the PFP, meanwhile, said the way to bring about a second election would be to change the law to give voters the right of recall.

"We can solve the problem within the government system," KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) said. "It is not necessary for the DPP, which always forgets that it is the ruling party, to walk on the streets."

Lien urged the DPP to support the proposed amendment of the Law on Local Government Systems. The law currently states that councilors can not be recalled within the first year of their term.

Lien and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) both appealed to those councilors to resign in line with public expectations.

Since the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors' Office began investigating the suspected vote-buying case early this month, more than 20 councilors have reported to the prosecutors office.

Hoping to convince prosecutors to suspend charges against them, some councilors presented themselves as witnesses and accused other councilors of receiving bribes from newly elected council speaker Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄).

The media and political commentators have argued that if charges against councilors who accepted bribes are dropped, then a council consisting mostly of criminals would be allowed to operate for the next four years.