The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for making accusations that KMT legislative candidates had been involved in vote-buying.
The KMT threatened to file lawsuits against the DPP for using smear campaign tactics in the final days before the presidential and legislative elections.
KMT Secretary-General Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) yesterday stressed the KMT’s determination to stamp out vote-buying during election campaigns and said the party had set up “ghost-catching” teams around the nation to look into any cases of potential vote--buying or bribery, while encouraging the public to report such acts to prosecutors.
“With only one day left before the elections, the DPP is blackening KMT candidates’ names with the same old negative campaign tactics,” he said yesterday.
“We will consider filing lawsuits against the DPP if it continues with this smear campaign,” he added.
Liao’s comments came after DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and others in the party raised concerns about vote-buying on Thursday.
The DPP cited cases that included KMT legislative candidate Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) in Greater Kaohsiung and said that vote-buying appeared to be widespread in central and southern Taiwan, urging the judiciary to be proactive in its investigations of the allegations in those regions.
Liao said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who also doubles as KMT chairman, has instructed the party to run a clean campaign and he called on Tsai and the DPP to refrain from engaging in negative campaign tactics.
“The DPP should run their campaign in a fair and candid manner,” Liao said.
“Making groundless accusations against candidates could violate the law,” he said.
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