Prominent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) figures yesterday rallied support for the party’s Hsinchu mayoral candidate, Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹), as the candidates of other parties held separate campaign events, canvassed and led motorcades in the city.
On Friday, a draw to determine the candidates’ spots on the ballot determined that Shen would be No. 5, while Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Lin Ken-jeng (林耕仁) would be No. 3 and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Ann Kao (高虹安) would be No. 6.
The other spots on the ballot went to independent mayoral candidates, with Huang Yuan-fu (黃源甫) as No. 1, Kung Wei-lun (龔偉綸) as No. 2 and Lee Chi-chun (李驥?) as No. 4.
The three major parties have held events in the city in the past few days, with allegations that Kao had plagiarized her doctoral dissertation and breached rules at her former employer taking center stage.
However, Yeh Kuo-wen (葉國文), the TPP’s Hsinchu City councilor candidate in Shangshan District (香山), was also at the center of attention, with Shen saying that his “criminal” behavior showed that he was unfit for office.
The remarks came after Yeh was on Friday released on NT$200,000 bail, as an investigation over vote-buying allegations continued.
Yeh and his aides reportedly donated money to a local organization chaired by a woman surnamed Chen (陳) that runs a scholarship fund for students.
Investigators said they suspect that Yeh did so in exchange for the votes of organization members, adding that they had summoned 14 people in connection to the case, including Yeh and Chen.
Yeh was released on bail, but must remain at his residence, they said.
Meanwhile, Shen criticized Kao for backing Yeh at a TPP rally yesterday.
“People can see the true nature of Kao and the TPP,” Shen said, adding that Kao and her party also support other allegedly corrupt politicians, especially independent Miaoli County commissioner candidate Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦), a long-time KMT member who was expelled from the party after registering independently.
Shen said that the TPP has formed an alliance with Chung, who is mired in a controversy over a decades-old murder charge and financial irregularities.
As for the accusations against Kao herself, Shen said she “self-plagiarized” reports that she had authored while working at the government-affiliated Institute for Information Industry for her doctoral dissertation, breaching her then-employer’s rules.
She remained on the institute’s payroll while studying in a doctoral program in the US and defied its expectation when she returned to Taiwan and immediately took a job at another employer instead of staying with the institute, Shen said.
She also took a part-time position at Taipei City-based Servtech Co without the institute’s approval, Shen said.
Kao said that the institute knew of her role at Servtech, and showed photographs and video footage of her guiding a group of government officials at an industry event in which she is wearing a Servtech uniform.
The footage was provided by the institute, which proves that she did not keep her role at Servtech secret, she said.
She followed institute rules and sought approval befor taking the position at Servtech, she said, adding that the institute’s accusations were unfair.
“Why do officials at the institute lie about the matter?” she asked, adding that they might be under pressure to stir up controversy to harm her campaign.
Meanwhile, DPP and KMT Hsinchu City councilor candidates separately said the TPP should explain its choice of candidates, referring to Yeh and another candidate who had been charged with drunk driving.
Kao, who heads the TPP’s Hsinchu chapter, should explain how the party nominated such flawed candidates, they said.
At a separate event, Kao said that her party would respect the outcome of the investigation in Shangshan District, while Yeh said he is innocent.
His campaign’s donation merely sought to support students from low-income families, Yeh said.
The controversy over the TPP’s Hsinchu City councilor candidate came days after Kao vowed that if elected mayor, she would launch an investigation into behind-the-scenes politicking in the city.
She said DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), a Hsinchu native who has represented a constituency of the city in the Legislative Yuan for decades, was involved in “unlawful activities” related to public projects in Hsinchu.
On Friday, Ker denied the accusations.
“Ann Kao is an arrogant, self-styled member of an academic elite and represents her party’s malicious spirit,” he said.
Ker made the remarks after attending a DPP event with former Hsinchu mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) at which they urged residents to vote for Shen.
“Shen has been a a civil servant for 32 years, including seven years in the Hsinchu City Government. She is the best choice for mayor,” Lin Chih-chien said, lauding the progress the city has made over the past seven years.
Projects realized by the city government can make Hsinchu residents proud, he said.
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