The recent Kuangsan
In fact, those familiar with Taiwan's political circles know it is no secret that representatives or lawmakers take "advanced payments" (前金) and "post-payments" (後謝) from those seeking the chairmenship of township councils, or to become speakers of county councils and city councils and speaker of the Legislative Yuan. Now that the practice has been exposed, the parties involved have tried to evade legal responsibility by calling the payments "political donations."
For politicians, the term political donation is like those golden shields or steel coats described in Chinese martial arts stories. Once they put on these suits of armor, they are protected from allegations and criticisms of wrongdoing, and can thereafter enjoy "everlasting safety and peace."
Taiwan's regulations on political donations are found in Article 45 of the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選罷法) and Article 38 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Law (總統副總統選舉罷免法). Both articles merely state that "each individual's political donation to a specific candidate running for public office shall not exceed NT$20,000," and "such a donation is deductible in reporting annual tax returns for the particular taxable year involved." So a donation made to any politician is tax deductible if the amount of donation is less than NT$20,000. A donation exceeding the limit only incurs some tax liabilities.
Certainly, Liu did not make donations to more than 100 lawmakers in order to get the tax deductions. But as long as he calls the money political donations -- regardless of the amount involved -- the whole thing will be perfectly legal. When ordinary voters take a so-called "walking fee"
From KMT legislator Yang Wen-hsin (
As the term political donation is so useful, it is probably considered to be a real public asset in the minds of our elected officials.
Wang Yeh-lih is chairman of the department of political science at Tunghai University.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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