DPP legislator and candidate for the Kinmen County commissionership, Chen Zau-nan (
Chen yesterday alleged that Kinmen prosecutors were biased in their investigation of members belonging to the Chen Clan Association, a faction with more than 4,500 supporters that is backing the DPP in the elections.
But Chu Chao-liang (
Chen's candidacy marks the first time the DPP has fielded a candidate for the position in a county dominated by the New Party.
Though six candidates are vying for the commissioner job, political watchers say the real contest is between the DPP and New Party.
The DPP has relied on the powerful Chen Clan Association to build support among voters in Kinmen, where one of the most sensitive issues is cross-strait affairs.
Chen visited the prosecutors' office yesterday to question Chu over the matter.
On Nov. 1, President Chen Shui-bian (
On Tuesday, Kinmen prosecutors subpoenaed several association members who are considered to be DPP vote captains.
Chen yesterday said he sus-pected the subpoenas were meant to threaten DPP supporters, noting that several members of the association had met with President Chen on Oct. 4.
He also noted that prosecutors haven't subpoenaed members of the Lee Clan Association, which is backing New Party legislator Lee Chu-feng (
Chen said Chu should investigate vote captains who are rumored to have paid for airline tickets so New Party supporters whose household registrations are listed in Kinmen can return to the islands on election day to cast their ballots.
But the prosecutor said investigations will proceed according to the evidence on hand. He also said prosecutors have been looking into the rumor of the airline tickets since last week.
In early September, Chu established a task force to investigate cases of vote-buying.
The Kinmen Prosecutors' Office has also held discussions to remind more than 100 vote captains of what vote-buying is.
"We are currently investigating more than 90 cases reported by residents," Chu said.
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State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
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