Groups protest Kaohsiung Council

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.

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 (曾長發) as acting speaker.

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 (楊娉育), the executive general of the Takao Hill Park Association.

The activists also urged Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) not to attend the assembly meeting.

Former DPP member Jan Yung-lung (詹永龍) criticized the demonstrators for their irrationality.

"No matter what, they should not hamper city councilors from exercising the authority of their office," Jan said.

TSU Councilor Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said groups should make an effort to monitor the councilors' performance rather than protest in front of the council.

KMT Councilor Dai Te-ming (戴德銘) and independent Councilor Tsai Chien-hsin (蔡見興) said that postponing the assembly meeting would delay the approval of municipal works.

DPP Councilor Kao Tzeng-ying (高宗英) said that the delay might jeopardize the rights and interests of the city's citizens.

Yang said the groups would protest again on Monday, when the preparatory meeting is held, and on Tuesday, when the assembly meeting is held.