Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) drew the ire of several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday after it was revealed he had made donations to both President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) during last year’s presidential election.
KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), a member of the Education and Culture Committee, called Cheng an “opportunist.”
“Cheng’s donations to both camps showed that he, as an academic, does not have any principles,” Hung said.
KMT Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) questioned Cheng’s loyalty to the KMT, but said only Ma had the power to replace him.
Records of political donation released by the Control Yuan on Monday showed Cheng donated NT$50,000 to Ma’s camp on March 4 and NT$50,000 to Hsieh’s camp on March 6.
Cheng said the donations were made to encourage Ma and Hsieh because they had political responsibilities as presidential candidates.
“I was simply expressing my support [for both],” he said.
He rebutted criticism that he was an opportunist, saying that he was retired when he made the donations and that donations to politicians should be seen as “common practice” in a democracy because they could help push the nation’s democratic development.
He said he would continue to make political donations, but he dismissed media speculation that his appointment was the result of his donation.
He said he had given about NT$40,000 to victims of the Sichuan earthquake and about NT$180,000 to stop students from dropping out because of the financial crisis.
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