Fri, Oct 26, 2001 page3

• `Open' poll says 60 percent back probe of KMT assets

  PUBLIC OPINION Almost 70 percent of the more than 1,000 people surveyed said they believe that at least some of the KMT assets were acquired by illegal means

  • CNA
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  A majority of the respondents to a recent poll support a Cabinet proposal to pass a special law that would allow a probe into the main opposition KMT's multi-billion dollar assets, according to the results of the poll released yesterday.

  The telephone survey of 1,065 randomly chosen adult residents was conducted by the weekly magazine Open between Oct. 15 and Oct. 17.

  The aim of the poll was to explore public opinion on the DPP-led government's recent decision to draft a special bill to pave the way for a probe into the sources of the KMT's wealth.

  The poll results show that 61.5 percent of the respondents gave a thumbs-up to the Cabinet proposal.

  Moreover, 68.86 percent said they believe that at least some of the KMT assets were acquired by illegal means, while 44.68 percent of those interviewed said they think that more than half of the KMT's fortune was snatched illegally.

  In addition, 41.58 percent said they believe that investigating the sources of the party's assets would benefit all of the people of Taiwan, although 29.63 percent said they think that such a move would most benefit the ruling DPP.

  Nevertheless, 60.66 percent also agreed with the view that the Cabinet's plan to look into sources of the KMT's assets is mainly a campaign strategy in the run-up to the Dec. 1 elections for legislators, city mayors and county commissioners.

  Meanwhile, 47.93 percent of the survey respondents said they do not think any of the country's political parties are especially clean or non-corrupt.

  In comparison, 58.24 percent said they think that the KMT, which ruled Taiwan for 55 years until May of last year, is most corrupt; followed by the DPP (16.95 percent), the People First Party (4.6 percent), the newly formed Taiwan Solidarity Union (1.82 percent) and the New Party (0.77 percent).

  The KMT is considered to be the world's wealthiest political party, with assets estimated at between US$6.7 billion and US$16 billion.

  Commenting on the results of the poll, DPP legislative whip Tsai Huang-lang (蔡煌瑯) urged the KMT to respond to public opinion and voluntarily return its "illegally" acquired party assets to the nation's coffers.

  Tsai said that as the KMT still controls a majority of the seats in the legislature, it will not be an easy task to pass a special law to provide a legal framework for a probe into the KMT's assets.

  Quoting the survey results, Wang Tan-ping (汪誕平), chief executive of the KMT's policy research department, pointed out that more than 60 percent of the survey respondents regard the proposal to probe the KMT's assets as "yet another of the DPP's campaign tricks."

  In response, DPP legislators Parris Chang (張旭成) and Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津) said that is irrelevant and that the "important point is that the majority of the people back the proposal to probe the legality of the KMT's assets."

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