Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) should be held responsible for failing to speak up against alleged real-estate speculation by KMT vice presidential candidate Jennifer Wang (王如玄), New Power Party (NPP) legislative candidate Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said yesterday.
“During the entire storm over the housing units for military dependents, Lin has not uttered a word about how Wang deceived military dependents — is it somehow wrong for us to raise questions? Are ordinary people not allowed to hope that he would say something?” Lim said while brandishing Lin’s campaign material which states that he is an advocate for military personnel and their families.
Lin filed defamation charges against Lim yesterday at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office over campaign fliers that show Lin with Wang and state that he is an “accomplice” in her “ensnaring” military dependents. The back of the fliers criticize Lin for failing to speak out against Wang’s alleged property speculation.
Photo: CNA
Lim and Lin are competing for Taipei’s fifth legislative district, where some of the military housing units owned by Wang are located.
Lin denied that he, his wife or other family members had purchased any military housing units.
“If I have purchased any housing units for military dependents, may my entire family be dead by noon,” Lin said, daring Lim to accompany him to a temple to take dueling vows.
He also denied that he had helped “introduce” anyone to such deals, while calling on Wang to clear up the controversy.
“Please clarify your purchases of the housing units — otherwise the situation will definitely negatively affect the party’s electoral prospects,” Lin said.
“We have only said what we have evidence for,” Lim said in response. “We absolutely never said that he himself had purchased military housing units.”
He said that Lin was Wang’s “accomplice” because as a legislator claiming to be an advocate for military dependents, he should have pushed for reforms to make deals like those that Wang has been accused of undertaking illegally, but instead Lin did nothing.
Lin’s lawsuit is “political showmanship” intended to distract the voters, as was Wang filing defamation charges last week, Lim said.
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