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Presidential election 2008: 15 days to go: Security bureau vows neutrality in guarding candidates

National Security Bureau (NSB) Chief Secretary Lin Cheng-tung (林成東) said yesterday the bureau would maintain its neutrality as its agents ensure the personal safety of the presidential candidates.

"Our special agents will never depart from their mandate, which is to protect the candidates and will communicate with their colleagues who are assigned to both campaign teams," Lin said in a briefing to lawmakers at the legislature's Judiciary committee and the Organic Laws and Statutes committee.

The bureau began providing protection to the candidates after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Democratic Progressive Party candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) registered their candidacies on Jan. 27.

Among the 12 measures the bureau has asked the KMT and the DPP to adopt is that the candidates and their running mates travel in vehicles provided by the NSB that are driven by its special agents.

Should a candidate travel in a vehicle not provided by the NSB, the bureau has requested that one of its special agents be allowed to travel with the candidate. It also asked that drivers who are not from the NSB be trained by the bureau.

DPP Legislator Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) yesterday criticized the KMT for undermining the bureau's morale after the Ma camp refused to use vehicles provided by the NSB.

"Ma should take full responsible for his safety now that he has refused to work with the bureau," Wong said.

In response, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said the Ma camp preferred its own vehicles, as it was worried the bureau's vehicles "might be equipped with listening devices."

Lin said the bureau was in the process of communicating with the Ma camp on the matter.

Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) asked Lin to explain the reason behind bureau chief Shi Hwei-yow's (許惠祐) recent 10-day visit to the US.

"I have learned that the purpose of Shi's trip to the US was to pass on the US' views on the UN referendum to President Chen Shui-bian [陳水扁]," Fai said.

Lin declined to reveal the details of Shi's trip to the US, citing confidentiality.
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