The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday called on the pan-blue camp to support amendments to the election code which would mete out more severe punishment for candidates involved in vote-buying.
DPP Legislator Chiu Chuang-chin (邱創進) accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus of going back on its word to endorse the amendments to the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法) during inter-party negotiations on Oct. 21.
He blamed the KMT's change of position for the amendments' failure to pass into law during Tuesday's plenary legislative session.
Producing a copy of the accord signed by caucus representatives, Chiu said that KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), who doubles as executive director of the party's Central Policy Committee, and KMT caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) had signed the agreement.
However, Tseng and Pan crossed out their signatures on Tuesday when the bill was scheduled to pass the second reading. Although People First Party (PFP) Legislator Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) signed the bill, Chiu questioned whether Feng was authorized to represent his caucus in the matter.
"I firmly protest the KMT's behavior and strongly suspect that its change of heart has a lot to do with an intention to encourage vote-buying in the elections," he said.
DPP Legislator Wang Shu-hui (王淑慧) called on the KMT and PFP caucus leaders to support the legal revisions and help the amendments pass into law on Nov. 22.
"If we can pass the revisions during the next plenary legislative session, the Dec. 3 polls will be clean," she said.
Chiu and Wang yesterday visited the KMT and PFP caucuses with the hope of soliciting their support, but neither of the two caucus leaders was available to receive them.
According to Chiu, caucus representatives had agreed to increase the maximum prison sentence that may be imposed on candidates convicted of vote-buying from five to 10 years and the maximum fine from NT$4 million to NT$10 million. They also agreed to add a new clause to impose a maximum sentence of two years in jail on civil servants who intend to pay other candidates to drop out of the race, as well as an article to immediately suspend a candidate from office if the person is convicted of vote-buying and sentenced to imprisonment without pardon.
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