The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is suppressing young voters, Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate in the legislative by-election for Taichung’s second electoral district, told a news conference at Nantien Temple in the city’s Wufeng District (霧峰) yesterday, with others accusing the KMT of planning to disrupt bus services during the vote on Sunday.
Lee Yu-chen (李雨蓁), who heads the Taiwan Statebuilding Party’s Organization Department, on Tuesday wrote on Facebook that the KMT was using “dirty tricks” in its bid to benefit its candidate, former legislator Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒).
Lee’s post included a screenshot of a chat group on messaging app Line, showing KMT staffer Huang Tzu-hao (黃子豪) saying: “The other side makes use of this bus service for young voters. Please help us swarm the registration system so that it can be paralyzed.”
Photo courtesy of Ling Ching-yi’s campaign office via CNA
The bus service does not discriminate based on political affiliation, Lee apparently wrote.
“It is pathetic that a young KMT member’s response to young people getting involved in the democratic process is to crash a registration Web site,” Lee said.
The message revealed the KMT’s indifference to young voters, Lin said, adding that the bus rides were organized by groups to boost civic engagement.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party’s Tainan chapter
The KMT should examine the reasons for Yen’s unpopularity among young Taiwanese instead of trying to suppress votes, she said.
The recalls, referendums and by-elections initiated by the opposition are a burden on young people who work and have to travel to cast their ballots, she said.
KMT Taichung chapter convenor Lin Min-lin (林敏霖) said that Huang had acted on his own and the party does not endorse his message.
The KMT appreciates Huang’s passion, but his actions were not appropriate as the party also has young supporters who could utilize the service to vote in Taichung, he said.
Lin Ching-yi also called on the Taichung City Government to share its records on a proposed MRT station near a property belonging to the Yen family, saying that the municipality has a duty to show that no undue influence had been exercised regarding the decision on its location.
The disclosures should include meeting minutes, site evaluation reports and expert opinions that the city government has apparently sought, she said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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