The government will not act on a demand by the opposition Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP) that Taiwan’s ambassador to Saint Lucia Tom Chou (周台竹) be replaced to stop him from allegedly interfering with the Caribbean ally’s year-end election, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said.
Over the years, the SLP has repeatedly petitioned Taiwan’s government to look into Chou’s “undiplomatic behavior,” addressing several letters to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the ministry to register its protest against Chou.
The latest protest came on Sept. 8, when Saint Lucia Leader of the Opposition Kenny Anthony said the SLP would “no longer afford him any diplomatic courtesies” apart from calling for the “resignation, reprimand, and recall” of Chou, who has served in the country since the incumbent United Workers Party (UWP) administration re-established ties with Taiwan in 2007 shortly after it regained power.
In one of the letters to Ma, the SLP enumerated 10 points “out of many, many more that we can produce” to draw his attention to Chou’s “reprehensible” and “undiplomatic” behavior and “violations of diplomatic norms and interference in our international political affairs.”
Among the allegations were that Chou provided each UWP parliamentarian with US$1 million that was ostensibly for aid projects, but was used to fund elections and to personally enrich the parliamentarians; Chou personally and publicly distributed money to contractors and community operatives of the UWP who were hired to perform tasks in the constituencies represented by the UWP.
The SLP requested that Chou “be immediately recalled to Taipei” and that “a thorough investigation be carried out into his behavior and the consequences thereof for the international reputation of our country,” the letter read.
Based on what the ministry has learned from its diplomatic mission in Saint Lucia, MOFA spokesman James Chang (章計平) on Friday dismissed the demand to recall Chou and vowed to continue with its aid projects, which he said have been “well received by the government and its people.”
Saying that the allegations brought up again ahead of Saint Lucia’s general election were “groundless,” Chang added: “We never interfere in its internal politics and we have no plan to get involved in its party politics.”
Chou challenged the SLP to present solid evidence to back its claims.
“They would have presented evidence if they had it. The opposition wasn’t able to provide evidence because the claim was not true. The Republic of China’s embassy in Saint Lucia never offers any money to any individuals or groups to serve their constituents,” Chou said.
Chou gave three reasons for the “misunderstandings” the SLP has about Taiwan.
First, the SLP favors recognizing China over Taiwan. Second, the implementation of Taiwanese aid projects have helped the UWP government win public support and thus placed the SLP at a disadvantage in the coming election, Chou said.
Third, the SLP preferred large construction projects, for example a large stadium and a hospital built when it was in power from 1997 to 2007 with financial support from China, as opposed to the projects carried out by Taiwan, which are mainly aimed at improving the quality of life of its people by building footpaths, bridges, community halls and drains to prevent floods, Chou said.
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