Scandal puts DPP lawmaker in hot seat

The DPP yesterday recommended revoking the party membership of Legislator Lin Chin-hsing (林進興), who was indicted for his role in the the Kaohsiung City Council vote-buying scandal last December.

Lin is among the 40 politicians -- 34 of whom are Kaohsiung City councilors -- who were charged on Monday in a scandal that has rocked the nation.

The party's Central Executive Committee yesterday reached an agreement to expel Lin. But the decision won't be finalized until the end of the month at the party's Central Review Committee.

Lin was indicted as an accomplice because he and his ex-wife, City Councilor Chang Wen-hsiu (章玟琇), had accepted a NT$5 million bribe from Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄) at the office of former Kaohsiung Civil Affairs Bureau director Wang Wen-cheng (王文正).

Prosecutors want Lin to serve one year in prison.

The legislator claimed he was innocent on Monday. He told party officials that although he had accompanied his ex-wife to meet with Wang, he "was not involved in the transaction."

Lin said earlier yesterday that he may consider withdrawing from the party on his own accord.

After the party's meeting yesterday, officials endorsed the prosecutors' indictment on the grounds the decision would issue a warning and curb the corruption in elections.

While asserting the party's position against vote-buying and black gold politics, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) said the party supported the prosecutors efforts to get to the bottom of the scandal.

The city council kicked off as scheduled on April 1, despite the fact that 34 out of the 44 city councilors were involved in the scandal and in the face of a racous protest outside the chamber from citizens who wanted the accused councilors to step down.

The most effective way to drive these officials out of office is to revise the Law on Local Government Systems (地方制度法) and the Election and Recall Law (選罷法). Under existing laws, public representatives can be recalled only after they have been at their post for longer than one year, and their duties must be suspended only if they are found guilty by the court during a third trial.

The DPP yesterday called for cross-party cooperation to push for the amendment of the laws, while urging the KMT to stop hindering the amendment with technical measures.