President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday reassured people that a confirmation vote held last week was clean, saying that rumors of attempted bribery have hurt both those elected and those defeated.
At a meeting with the six appointees who did not obtain the legislature's approval last week for the high-profile government posts, the president took the chance to dismiss what he believes to be unfounded reports.
"Every single ballot was clean. I can swear this to the public," Chen said.
Rumors have been circulating following last week's confirmation vote that the DPP offered bribes to get legislators to approve its nominees for several top positions.
Speculation intensified yesterday when former minister of the interior Chang Po-ya (張博雅), who lost her bid to become vice president of the Examination Yuan, told the media after her meeting with Chen that her assistants witnessed "a non-ruling party" attempt at bribery.
According to the reports, some non-DPP lawmakers approached Chang, offering to support her in exchange for NT$3 million per vote.
While Chang did not identify the party yesterday, she had insinuated the previous day that the DPP instructed TSU lawmakers to offer to sell their votes.
Rumors have it that bribery also led to the unexpected victory of independence advocate Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) to become the head of the Examination Yuan, whereas Chang, who keeps amicable relations with the "pan-blue" camp, lost her bid to become vice president of the body.
In the legislature, where the DPP and TSU have 89 and 13 seats respectively, Yao got 113 votes, just enough to win the post, while Chang obtained only 102 -- 11 short of the number needed. The "pan-blue" camp boycotted the vote by forbidding their lawmakers from casting ballots.
While the DPP has repeatedly claimed that all of its 89 votes went to Chang, the TSU kept quiet on the matter. Many DPP and TSU members have reportedly expressed their disapproval of Chang, saying she is not a good partner, adding she refused to help Yao during the campaign.
Chang, an independent politician with strong ties to the DPP, announced on Wednesday that she is considering running in the year-end Kaohsiung City mayoral election. The move was interpreted by many as being a vindictive step designed to show her anger with the DPP for not ensuring she received enough votes.
The president yesterday sought to calm Chang's resentment by saying she would have been an excellent choice for the Examination Yuan job given her professional ability and administrative experience.
Chang is a former mayor of Chiayi, a former lawmaker and a former director of the Department of Health. She is now a national policy adviser to the president.
The president told the attendants that he had tried his utmost during the campaign to ensure that all 89 DPP votes went to Chang.
He said it was regrettable that four out of the seven female appointees were rejected during the vote and that the result has thwarted his effort to create more space for women in politics.
The president condemned what he saw as the irrationality of opposition lawmakers for boycotting competent nominees due to partisan considerations.
Both the DPP and TSU brushed aside the vote-buying accusations.
Wang Tuoh (
"I hope Chang, being a politician with morals and courage, will present her evidence by identifying the people involved," Wang said.
TSU lawmakers also maintained their innocence. They questioned Chang's motives in raising the allegations, painting her as "a sore loser."
TSU lawmaker Su Ying-kwei (
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