Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday expressed support for a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) proposal that political parties cover the cost of any by-elections resulting from a member losing his or her elected position on a vote-buying conviction — but said his support was on the condition that parties also be held financially responsible for public funds embezzled by their members.
“While vote-buying is shameful, corruption is just as detestable,” Wu said.
Since the seventh legislature was sworn in last year, seven legislators have left their posts for various reasons. Three by-elections have been held to fill the vacancies and another two will be held soon.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Diane Lee (李慶安) resigned in January after she was found to have held US citizenship during her 14 years as Taipei City Councilor and legislator. KMT legislators Lee E-tin (李乙廷), Chang Shuo-wen (張碩文) and Chiang Lien-fu (江連福) lost their seats after being found guilty on vote-buying charges.
Another KMT legislator, Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井), and People First Party Legislator Lin Cheng-er (林正二) have been accused of vote-buying, but their cases are ongoing.
Wu yesterday backed DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang’s (蔡煌瑯) proposal to revise the regulations concerning by-elections, but said political parties should, then, also be held responsible for the funds embezzled by corrupt members of their parties.
“Political parties are also responsible for presidents, county commissioners and city mayors nominated by the parties who are found guilty of corruption,” Wu said in an apparent reference to former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), whose trial has proceeded to the High Court.
Citizen Congress Watch executive director Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) yesterday welcomed Wu’s support for Tsai’s proposal and urged Wu to work toward making it law.
Earlier yesterday, Ho and other civic groups staged a demonstration outside the Legislative Yuan, calling on former legislators who have lost their seats because of vote-buying to return their salaries and vote subsidies and cover the cost of by-elections.
Legislators are entitled to a NT$30 subsidy per vote they received over a set threshold.
“It doesn’t make sense that the public has to pay lawmakers who are elected through vote-buying and pay for their wrongs,” Ho said. “They should give the money back and pay for the by-elections.”
“It’s only been a year and nine months [since the legislature was sworn in], and seven of them have left their seats,” Ho said.
One of the seats was left vacant when Wu was appointed to the premiership last month. The by-election for that seat will be held in December.
Former KMT legislators Lee Jih-chu (李紀珠) and Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) also left the legislature for other posts, but no by-elections were necessary for their seats as they were legislators at large.
“So far, more than NT$50 million [US$1.5 million] in taxpayers’ money has been spent on by-elections, and there are more ... to come.”
Wu Li-huei (吳麗惠) of the Union of Taiwan Teachers said public figures like lawmakers set an example for the next generation.
“With so many legislators acting unlawfully, I don’t know how to teach my kids or my students,” Wu Li-huei said.
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