Presidential election 2008: 5 days to go: Village chiefs file lawsuit against legislators

Hsinkang Township Farmers' Association Chairman Lin Mao-sheng, accompanied by five village chiefs, rings the bell at the Chiayi District Court yesterday. PHOTO: WU SHIH-TSUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Five village chiefs in Chiayi County filed a defamation lawsuit against two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday, sources from Chiayi reported yesterday.

The five village chiefs from Hsinkang Township (新港) filed the lawsuit with the Chiayi District Court against DPP legislators Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) and Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) following their accusation on Friday that the village chiefs met recently with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman John Kuan (關中), and that during the meeting, Kuan asked them to root for KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

The two DPP legislators also alleged publicly that Kuan had promised the village chiefs between NT$300,000 and NT$500,000 in return for drumming up support for Ma in the runup to Saturday's election, the men said.

The DPP legislators said on Friday that Kuan visited the home of Lin Mao-sheng (林茂盛), chairman of the Hsinkang Farmers' Association, on March 10. The five village chiefs were at Lin's home and Kuan made the offer to them at that time, the legislators said.

The village chiefs were accompanied by Lin and the Hsinkang township chief when they filed the lawsuit.

Lin, known as a supporter of the pan-green camp led by the DPP, denied the accusation and said Kuan had visited him because they are old friends.

"Kuan did not mention the presidential election and did not offer vote-buying incentives to the village heads," Lin said.

The village chiefs said the DPP lawmakers' accusation was fabricated. They said they "would rather be struck by lightning and split in two" than take a bribe from the KMT vice chairman.