Activists from a dozen civic groups in Kaohsiung City yesterday protested against the Kaohsiung City Council as the council prepares to convene its regular assembly on April 1.
The protesters cited the fact that some council members had accepted bribes for their votes in the speakership and deputy speakership elections.
PHOTO: CNA
Councilors, however, argued yesterday that the assembly meeting should be conducted on schedule in conformity with the law.
Thanks to pan-blue cooperation, Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄) and his deputy Tsai Song-hsiung (蔡松雄) were elected last December.
Prosecutors investigated allegations of bribery immediately af-ter the election.
Prosecutors say the investigation has indicated that all but six members of the 44-seat council were involved in the scandal.
Of the six councilors who were not implicated in the scandal, two belong to the DPP, two to the TSU, one to the PFP and one is a KMT member.
Most of the councilors implicated in the scandal are now independents because they were expelled by the political parties they belonged to.
Some councilors, including Chu and Tsai, are still in custody. So far, none of the councilors have been convicted of a crime.
Forty councilors plan to convene an assembly meeting on Tuesday.
Yesterday the council elected Independent Tseng Chang-fa (
Yesterday morning, activists performed a skit in front of the city council building which implied that the councilors linked to the vote-buying scandal intended to use the period of time the council would be in session as an umbrella of protection to help them evade prosecution.
"We Kaohsiung citizens will not allow the council to convene this meeting smoothly. Those involved have to know that citizens who voted for them object to their illegal acts," said Yang Ping-yu (
The activists also urged Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (
Former DPP member Jan Yung-lung (
"No matter what, they should not hamper city councilors from exercising the authority of their office," Jan said.
TSU Councilor Chao Tien-lin (
KMT Councilor Dai Te-ming (
DPP Councilor Kao Tzeng-ying (
Yang said the groups would protest again on Monday, when the preparatory meeting is held, and on Tuesday, when the assembly meeting is held.
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