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DPP Taipei City councilor status stripped

The Taiwan High Court yesterday ruled Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Tsai Kun-lung (蔡坤龍) be stripped of his elected status in a bribery case.

“The court believes that more than a thousand voters were bribed during Tsai’s 2006 election campaign,” the verdict said. “As a result, his elected status ought to be annulled.”

The high court’s verdict said Tsai and his father, Tsai Chung-chi (蔡重吉), bribed voters by giving away gift boxes of whiskey and wine, while holding several free dinners during Tsai Kun-lung’s campaign for the 2006 Taipei City councilor’s election. Tsai Chung-chi owns a liquor and wine importing company.

Tsai Chung-chi also asked his son’s vote captain, Kuo Chi-chuan (郭吉川), to plan free dinners for supporters during the Moon Festival in 2006, with the apparent aim of securing more votes for Tsai Kun-lung, the verdict said.

Tsai Kun-lung, 31, served the constituency covering Taipei City’s Zhongshan (中山) and Datung (大同) districts.

The Tsais were both sentenced to four years and six months in jail. Their civil rights will also be suspended for three years.

Yesterday’s ruling cannot be appealed.

Upon learning of the verdict, the DPP’s Taipei City branch suspended Tsai Kun-lung’s membership yesterday.

Tsai Kun-lung also announced his decision to withdraw from the party “to avoid damaging the party’s image.”

He also apologized to his supporters for not being able to serve them.

“The ruling is unjust,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“It’s unreasonable that the court find me guilty simply because of one or two witnesses’ comments,” he said.

Tsai Kun-long will be replaced by his People First Party opponent, Lin Kuo-cheng (鄰國成), who lost by about 2,000 votes in the election.

Lin expressed joy at replacing Tsai, and said the verdict should have a positive impact on future elections and prevent more vote-buying.


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