Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson candidate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has been embroiled in controversy since appearing on Monday at a banquet for DPP members in Pingtung County, where the host reportedly tried to mobilize attendees to vote for Cho in today’s election.
The Chinese-language Mirror Media magazine reported that the free banquet, organized by DPP legislators Su Cheng-ching (蘇震清) and Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄), was billed as a “talk with residents.”
“Vote for No. 1 — Cho Jung-tai” was projected on a large screen as the host urged attendees to vote for Cho in the party’s chairperson election, the magazine said.
Photo: Huang Shu-li, Taipei Times
Each banquet table reportedly had rosters with information on all of the party’s members and, as he repeated calls to vote for Cho, the host encouraged the attendees to use the rosters — the “most important thing” about the banquet — to get to know one another.
Cho yesterday said he was a guest at the banquet.
Su and Chuang hold the banquet every year, and this year some publications were distributed on the tables, he said, adding: “I think the whole event was very straightforward.”
Cho said that he had apologized to the two lawmakers for the trouble he might have caused them.
As the only other candidate for party chairman, Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation chairman Michael You (游盈隆) yesterday lashed out at Cho over the banquet.
Speaking at a campaign event in Hualien County, You said that the tactic that Cho allegedly adopted to canvass for votes was “outrageous and unethical.”
Cho should drop out of the race on his own initiative and apologize to the public, You said.
Cho used to be a formidable adversary, You said, but added that Cho’s recent behavior had eroded his respect for the man.
The actions alleged by Mirror Media were illegal, but Cho had given a generic response, You said, asking the audience what they thought would become of the DPP if a morally flawed person like Cho was elected chairperson.
“Would there still be any hope for the party?” You said.
He urged Cho stand up and apologize to the public, adding that dropping out of the election was the only way to prevent the party’s image from being marred at a time when it was trying to regain the public’s trust.
You said his bid for DPP chairperson was not for personal gain, but to save the party from ruin.
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