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Lu establishes DPP agency to battle corruption

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) acting chairwoman Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday announced the initiation of the party's commission against corruption, saying the party welcomed the public to report any corruption cases involving DPP members.

"This commission against corruption will be authorized to investigate any DPP member who is suspected of being linked to illegality or corruption, including the president, vice president, the premier, and county commissioners and city mayors," Lu said yesterday at a news conference.

Lu said integrity was the DPP's founding principle and had also enabled it to win power and recognition. However, a series of corruption scandals before the Dec. 3 local elections had seriously damaged the party's reputation.

Therefore, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has ordered former party chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) to establish a commission against corruption and invited seven legal experts to serve as members.

"I know that it is a thankless task for an investigator, but each member will go all-out -- maintaining a detached and fair attitude -- to make things clear, and hopefully the DPP can clear its name," said chief of the commission John Chen (陳傳岳), who is also an attorney.

John Chen said the commission will handle cases reported from all levels of society, and will also actively investigate.

In addition, if DPP members who are investigated are found to be involved in corruption, the party's central standing committee will punish them or expel them from the party, he said.

As long as reports of corruption include the real name, phone number and address of the person making the accusation -- as well as concrete evidence -- the commission will investigate, Lu said.

Lu added that since her time in the post of acting chairperson will be quite short, the most important task during this period is to re-elect a chairperson and make the process upright and transparent.

The party will hold its election for the post on Jan. 15.

"Of course we are happy to see that we will conduct reforms but the central standing committee is a collegiate system -- all the decisions on reforms depends on the committee's resolution," Lu said.

The president has expressed to her the importance which he places on the election and had stressed that he would not intervene in it, she added.

"President Chen said that he did not prefer any specific candidate and will remain detached from the poll," Lu said.

The DPP will hold two TV debates for the three candidates for DPP chairperson. The first will be held on Jan.7 in Taipei, according to Lu.
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