The Taiwan High Court yesterday revoked the status of People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lin Cheng-er (林正二) after he was found guilty of vote buying.
Lin was accused of vote buying during his campaign in 2007. Prosecutors filed a civil suit with the court to nullify Lin’s election after they indicted him on charges of vote buying. The Taiwan High Court ruling cannot be appealed.
In the criminal suit, the Taoyuan District Court last month sentenced Lin to two years in prison and three years probation.
The case is pending in the Taiwan High Court after Lin appealed it.
FREE DINNER
Yesterday’s ruling said Lin’s campaign aides in November 2008 invited voters to join a free dinner party. Lin appeared at the occasion, calling on the voters to support him. All present were given a NT$300 gift.
The judges declared the dinner and gifts were an act of vote buying.
Lin is the fifth legislator in the seventh term to have their status revoked. KMT legislators Lee E-tin (李乙廷), Chang Shuo-wen (張碩文), Chiang Lien-fu (江連福) and Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井) also had their status revoked after they were found guilty of vote buying.
DENIAL
Lin denied buying votes, saying he was simply treating campaign staffers to a meal.
Lin said the verdict was “unacceptable,” adding that the law does not forbids electoral candidates from distributing campaign vests to staffers.
Meanwhile, Central Election Commission spokesman Teng Tien-yu (鄧天祐), citing the Election and Recall Law of Civil Servants Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), said there would not be any need for a by-election because the spot left vacant by Lin would not exceed one half of the constituency’s total seats.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG AND STAFF WRITER
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