The People First Party (PFP) legislative caucus yesterday claimed that pro-independence soldiers have been granted leave to vote in Saturday's local government elections, while their pro-unification counterparts have not.
The PFP demanded that top intelligence and military officials offer an explanation for such a policy.
In response, the Ministry of National Defense dismissed the PFP's claim as completely baseless.
PFP Legislator Chao Liang-yen (趙良燕) yesterday said her electoral service center in Kaohsiung County has received several calls from soldiers complaining about the leave policy for election day.
Chao said she suspects that National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), who doubles up as the DPP's campaign manager, has meddled in the matter, bypassing Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (
The policy is targeted at areas where DPP candidates are suffering from the party's flagging popularity, Chao said.
Those whose household registration is in Taipei County will even be transported home by bus, Chao said.
She said she is worried that the soldiers will be brainwashed during the trip by DPP campaign videos played on the bus.
PFP Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), who also serves as the party's director of policy research, invited Chiou and Lee Jye to visit the caucus and respond to the allegations, and to tell them whether they have tried to use any "improper methods" to manipulate the elections.
Chang said Chiou should resign from the National Security Council and install himself at DPP headquarters if he likes elections so much.
He also demanded that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and top intelligence and military officials remain politically neutral and stop campaigning for DPP candidates.
In response, ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Liou Chih-chien (劉志堅) yesterday said the military had never proposed any change in leave policy for officers and enlisted personnel for election day, and that military personnel would follow their normal weekend schedules which would determine whether they have leave this Saturday.
Liou said the PFP's claims about Lee and Tsai were fabrications.
He added the law stipulates that the military cannot get involved in political activities, and that the military has abided by the law.
Meanwhile,Vice President Annette Lu (
The Presidential Office's Department of Public Affairs said that the vice president changed her itinerary on her way to a campaign rally in Taichung County on Sunday because she was suffering from a recurrence of unbearable lower back pain.
She decided to attend a rehabilitation exercise program first, and by the time her treatment was finished, the campaign event she had planned to attend was over.
Additional reporting by Rich Chang and Chiu Yu-tzu
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