The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday confirmed that deposed KMT legislator Chang Sho-wen’s (張碩文) father had requested a registration form to run in the Yunlin County by-election, but declined to say whether he was qualified to do so.
Chang Sho-wen, who won a regional legislative election in Yunlin County in January last year, lost his seat earlier this month after the High Court found him guilty of participating in a vote-buying scheme organized by his father, Chang Hui-yuan (張輝元), and annulled the election result.
Chang Hui-yuan, the head of a local irrigation association, picked up a registration form at the KMT’s Yunlin branch on Wednesday, seeking to represent the party in the by-election.
When asked about his vote-buying case, Chang Hui-yuan said he had appealed the case and believed that the court would find him innocent.
KMT Organization and Development Committee director Huang Chao-yuan (黃昭元) said Chang Hui-yuan has not completed the registration procedure, but declined to say whether he would be qualified to represent the party given that he was found guilty at the first trial.
The revised version of the KMT’s “black gold exclusion clause” (排黑條款) states that members who are found guilty of corruption at their initial trial are not to be nominated in any elections.
The party also has the authority to deny any member’s application to run in an election if it finds that the individual would damage the party’s reputation.
KMT Yunlin branch director Hsu Shu-po (許舒博) said Chang Hui-yuan should not be restricted from running in the election because the party revised the clause in November last year, while Chang Hui-yuan was found guilty in October.
Huang said those who have claimed registration forms should register with the party by tomorrow to complete the registration process.
The KMT is scheduled to complete the nomination process on July 29.
Chang Hui-yuan is the only person so far to request a registration form, Huang said, adding that the party would not rule out canceling the primary in favor of nominating a candidate directly.
The Democratic Progressive Party has nominated Yunlin County Councilor Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) to run in the by-election. The by-election is scheduled for October.
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