PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2008: Police out in force to ensure security

The National Police Agency (NPA) said yesterday it would dispatch tens of thousands of police officers and volunteers to maintain security during the election today.

NPA Director-General Hou You-yi (侯友宜) told a press conference that 62,518 police officers and 32,051 volunteers would be stationed at the nation's 14,401 polling stations to maintain order.

Hou urged the public to obey the law, adding that the agency would not tolerate any violent or illegal action.

The Tainan District Court detained a man named Tsai Chen-chi (蔡振吉) yesterday on suspicion of threatening Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).

Police said DPP Tainan Councilor Wang Ting-yu's (王定宇) office received a telephone call on Thursday morning, with the caller threatening to shoot Hsieh.

Police arrested the suspected caller in Tainan on Thursday night.

Tsai admitted to making the phone call, but said his comments were protected under the freedom of speech, police said.

However, the Tainan District Court ordered Tsai's arrest as his remarks were considered a security threat.

In Taipei, the district Prosecutors' Office said yesterday it had dispatched officials to investigate the two rival camps' allegations of violating the President and Vice President Election and Recall Law (總統副總統選舉罷免法).

Officials said the investigation would be conducted after the poll.

Hsieh on Thursday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of using "non-traditional" tricks to buy votes. He said the KMT intended to spend NT$470 million (US$15.3 million) and mobilize at least 200,000 people to ensure its victory.

The KMT filed suit against Hsieh, and the DPP filed a countersuit. Central Election Commission Chairman (CEC) Chang Cheng-hsiung (張政雄) told reporters yesterday that people who send text messages recommending a certain candidate or wear T-shirts bearing a candidate's campaign logo, number or name today may be subject to a fine of between NT$500,000 (US$16,000) and NT$5 million.

Chang made the remarks after an inspection of the central vote-counting center.

"The President and Vice President Election and Recall Law stipulate that there shall be no campaigning on election day," Chang told the press conference.

Other than text messages and T-shirts, hand gestures or verbal recommendation are also prohibited, Chang said.

"The rule applies to the candidates, their parties, their campaign staff and to private individuals," he said.

The CEC refused to comment when asked about campaign T-shirts that do not bear any of the stated features.

But he admitted that it wouldn't be easy to catch those who campaign privately, saying there were certain gray areas.

Chang also reminded all foreign nationals to refrain from campaigning for candidates in public.

"If a candidate invites a foreigner to campaign for him, the candidate will be in violation of the election law and will be fined between NT$500,000 to NT$5 million," Chang said. "If a foreigner gets on a campaign stage uninvited, he or she would be in violation of the Immigration Law (入出國及移民法)."

Chao Kung-chung (趙光中), deputy spokesman for the National Immigration Agency, said that under either circumstance, the foreigner involved in public campaigning would be deported for acting "differently from their declared purpose of travel."

Chang said more than 200,000 staff members across the country to serve over 17 million qualified voters, Chang said.

Voting starts at 8am and ends at 4pm. With the CEC estimating around 75 percent turnout, the final result is likely to be released at around 9:30pm, Chang said.

The official ballot count can be viewed live at vote2008-3.nat.gov.tw.