Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) yesterday defended the ministry’s efforts to tackle vote-buying ahead of next Saturday’s local elections, despite Kinmen recently being nicknamed “the vote-buying island” in the media.
At the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee meeting yesterday, Wang was grilled by lawmakers who questioned whether the ministry’s efforts had had any effect on deterring vote-buying and other illegal practices with the Dec. 5 local elections approaching.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) panned the ministry for turning a blind eye to the vote-buying problem that has allegedly become rampant in Kinmen, where it has been rumored that each vote has been “priced” at NT$10,000.
Wang defended the ministry’s efforts by saying she had recently been to various counties and cities to promote the ministry’s anti-vote-buying campaign.
However, legislators remained skeptical and criticized Wang for not listening to the people she visited, some of whom booed her for “making a big show.”
In her defense, Wang said: “In a democratic society which respects differences of opinion, it is normal to be booed.”
The ministry also said it would provide rewards for people who report vote-buying or provide information by dialing a hotline on 0800-024-099.
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