Most of the incumbent Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Standing Committee members retained their seats yesterday as the party elected 33 members of its highest decision-making body amid bribery accusations.
Only one of the two candidates from "Ma's troop" -- KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) top aides and supporters -- won a seat in the body.
KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴世葆) was re-elected to the committee, while KMT Taipei City Councilor Chen Yu-mei (陳玉梅) lost the election. Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) did not join the election.
Former minister of economic affairs Wang Chih-kang (王志剛), a close aide of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), did not seek reelection.
A total of 43 candidates ran in the election, with 1,536 party delegates casting their votes around the country.
Incumbent members including Lien Sheng-wen (連勝文), the son of former chairman Lien Chan (連戰), Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強), KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), the son of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), were re-elected.
Although the turnout rate was reported to be close to 70 percent, allegations of bribery clouded the election, including Liao Wan-lung (廖萬隆), who was accused of sending out free pearl necklaces to party delegates. Liao was voted in yesterday.
KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) denied the rumors of bribery, but admitted that blackmail targeting at certain candidate had been used during the election.
"I didn't see any candidates sending out gifts or hosting banquets, but there was blackmail. The party will make greater efforts to prevent such things from happening again," Wu said.
Responding to accusations, Liao said the pearl necklaces were Mothers' Day presents to the mothers of party delegates and had nothing to do with the elections.
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