New Power Party (NPP) legislative candidate Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) yesterday traded blows over accusations of KMT vote-buying in the race for New Taipei City’s 12th district.
The race has been closely watched as it is one of the districts in which a “third force” party candidate is closest to scoring an upset.
Lee symbolically rang the bell outside of the Shilin (士林) District Prosecutors’ Office before walking in to file slander charges.
“Huang’s camp accuses me of planning to spend NT$60 million [US$1.79 million] to purchase over 20,000 votes, but in reality, I do not have that ability because I do not have a father-in-law with a tonne of money [like Huang does] — could it be that the genuine crook is the one shouting ‘thief’?” Lee said. “Huang should shout out [‘vote-buying’] — I’ll absolutely make him go to jail.”
In an interview with SETN on Wednesday, Huang insinuated that Lee was supporting vote-buying efforts, Lee said, adding that he would sue both Huang and SETN for violating Civil Servants Election And Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) provisions forbidding the spreading of false rumors to keep someone from being elected.
Earlier this week, Huang said that his campaign had received reports of systematic vote-buying in his district, adding in yesterday’s interview that such vote-buying would be impossible without systematic financial support.
“I did not accuse any particular person of engaging in vote-buying,” Huang said yesterday in response to Lee’s slander charge, adding that he did not know why “some particular candidates” were “taking the seat as if it has their name on it.”
“It is hard to believe this messed up logic — I have been the one who has been deluged with slander during this election, but now have somehow become the target of a lawsuit,” he said, adding that he might consider a countersuit.
Huang made his initial remarks on vote-buying rumors at a press conference rebuffing what he said was a misleading advertisement that alleged he supported abolishing the death penalty.
He said that he has yet to take a public position on the issue.
Additional reporting by Ching Jen-hao
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