A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator yesterday defended former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) right to use part of the “state affairs” fund to sponsor an activity to garner support for a government referendum.
DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) said that Chen told prosecutors he had offered Chai NT$10 million (US$300,000) from the “state affairs” fund to sponsor a rally to promote the referendum and a new constitution in Kaohsiung in October 2003.
Chai said prosecutors questioned him as a witness on Friday to confirm Chen’s statement about the referendum. He told them that Chen had contributed NT$10 million for the rally, but he did not know if the money came from the “state affairs” fund.
The legislator said the rally attracted about 200,000 people, adding that he believed its success was instrumental in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) decision to also support the referendum.
He said that if Chen had used the “state affairs” fund to sponsor the rally, it would be a legitimate activity as promoting a referendum was a state affair.
Instead of targeting Chen, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should be condemned and questioned over the legitimacy of using the “state affairs” fund to pay for a birthday party banquet for former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) early this month and gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday.
Chinese Nationalist Party caucus deputy secretary-general Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) disagreed, saying there was nothing wrong with the president using the “state affairs” fund to purchase moon cakes made by economically disadvantaged groups.
She said the public was upset at Chen because the former president allegedly used his “state affairs” fund to cover personal expenditures.
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