Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday called on the KMT to run a clean campaign in the year-end local elections and urged the government to step up its efforts to prosecute those who have been accused of vote buying in the past.
Tsai made the remarks during the party’s weekly Central Standing Committee meeting, which was held in Yunlin County.
The chairperson went south to stump for DPP candidate Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國), who will represent the party in the legislative by-election after former KMT legislator Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) was found guilty of vote buying last month.
Chang’s victory was declared void and his father, who allegedly orchestrated the vote-buying scheme to secure his son’s win, is running for the seat as an independent. The Changs have proclaimed their innocence.
“We must stand united behind Liu, who is the party’s best and the youngest nominee. He cares deeply about public welfare and will not stop fighting for the people. We must win this battle,” Tsai told hundreds of DPP supporters.
Liu told the crowd that although Yunlin is the home of Taiwanese puppet shows, many politicians have manipulated the people of Yunlin by stringing them along through numerous scandals.
“The people of Yunlin must stand up and stand together to defy corruption and dissolve factions. We are also asking President Ma Ying-jeou and the pan-blue camp to join the effort,” Liu said.
Speaking at the Central Standing Committee meeting, Tsai said the battle for Yunlin was the most important in Taiwan’s efforts to terminate all vote-buying practices once and for all.
The race serves as a litmus test for Ma’s declaration that all KMT candidates would be righteous and clean, she added.
Furthermore, Tsai said, the race tests Ma’s credibility, as he has vowed to get to the bottom of all vote-buying cases, regardless of party lines. The DPP noted that five KMT legislators and one People’s First Party legislator were accused of vote buying in the last legislative election and only two have been found guilty so far.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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