Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (
Yang said that the government had been doing its best to investigate allegations of vote buying in townships.
In the 2000 election, James Soong (
However, according to some analysts, a number votes went to the DPP out of support for former president and KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (
According to Yang, there is speculation that to prevent this support from going to the pan-greens, whose campaign Lee has again thrown his weight behind, bribing had been adopted by pan-blue representatives.
Yang said that in Luchu Township at least NT$500,000 each had been given to local vote captains, who attempt to mobilize voters to support a particular party.
In addition, Yang said, reports about NT$6 million funding for activities in Kangshan Township and free trips offered in Meinung Township were under investigation.
"We will have such illegalities exposed soon because names have been listed in these secret reports," Yang said.
Yang said that high-ranking vote captains had given more money than ever before.
"Vote-buying damages the image of Taiwan, a democratic country. People should refuse it," Yang said.
Yang said vote-buying would be the focus of a major investigation in the county.
As of Monday, police were investigating 39 major instances of gambling and violence in connection with the election, according to Kaohsiung County Police Department Commissioner Yi Yung-jen (
Yang yesterday stressed that the referendum was one of the most fundamental civil rights and people in more than 150 countries held more than 15,000 similar referendums.
"This is Taiwan's first time, and people should not miss the great chance to enjoy the right," Yang said.
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