Lawmakers who are running for mayor or county commissioner should resign their legislative posts, as they should not be using taxpayers’ money to fund their election campaigns, New Power Party (NPP) Chairwoman Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) said yesterday.
Twelve legislators are running for mayor or county commissioner, meaning the Legislative Yuan still pays them a monthly salary of nearly NT$200,000 during the months leading up to November’s local elections, Chen told a news conference in Taipei.
The lawmakers can continue receiving election subsidies amounting to millions of New Taiwan dollars after the vote, regardless of whether they are elected, she said.
Photo: Tu Chien-rong, Taipei Times
“We have proposed amendments to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (選舉罷免法) and related regulations that would require lawmakers to resign voluntarily before registering to run in elections for local government offices,” she said.
“For them, elections are good business, with steady profits and no losses, as they can receive taxpayers’ money before and after the elections,” Chen said.
“However, the Legislative Yuan’s quality would deteriorate if they try to fulfill their duties as legislators and campaign for local elections at the same time. We urge these lawmakers to stop taking people’s money to fund their own campaigns,” Chen added.
Lawmakers running in the local elections are Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國), Chou Chun-mi (周春米), Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應), Huang hsiu-fang (黃秀芳), Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪) and Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) of the Democratic Progressive Party; Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) and Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT); and Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) and Kao Hung-an (高虹安) of the Taiwan People’s Party.
Citizen’s Congress Watch chairman Tseng Chien-yuan (曾建元) said that lawmakers are given staff members and resources so that they can focus on supervising the government.
“However, we have seen them abuse public resources for their personal affairs. While running for mayor or county commissioner, they could ask their legislative aides to represent them in campaign events,” Tseng said.
When legislators run for local government posts, the line between legislative and executive resources can become blurred, Tseng said.
NPP Keelung City Councilor candidate Chiang Hsin-yi (江欣怡) said lawmakers keep their jobs as a backup plan in case they lose in the local elections.
NPP Taipei City Councilor candidate Lin Hung-tai (林鴻泰) said that lawmakers should donate the monthly salaries they receive during their election campaigns.
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