The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday said it would amend the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) to disallow people with criminal convictions involving organized crime, money laundering, firearms or drugs from running in national or local elections.
The caucus made the proposal at a news conference in response to public calls for enhanced national security.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), director of the caucus, said that politicians should be held to the highest standards, and that the law is the minimum regulation of ethics in politics.
Photo: CNA
The National Police Agency conducted five sets of crackdowns on gangs this year and investigated a record number suspects, with unprecedented amounts of money involved, Lo said.
The caucus discussed what kind of amendments to introduce, and asked the agency to step up the crackdowns, he said.
DPP caucus deputy director Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) said that mayors, county commissioners and local representatives are trusted to use great power and large resources in an ethical manner.
As such, regulations on their eligibility should follow the example of Article 26 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法), which says that a person cannot run for the top two offices if they have been convicted of any crime described in the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例), Huang said.
Eligibility for election should be further restricted to disallow candidates for any office who have been convicted under the Organized Crime Prevention Act, the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), the Act Controlling Guns, Knives and Ammunition (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例) or the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), he said.
The restrictions should apply to legislators, borough wardens, mayors of townships and township-level cities, and city and county councilors, Lo said.
The DPP already disallows people prosecuted for organized crime from running for any civil servant position, he added.
DPP caucus deputy secretary-general Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said that the disreputable backgrounds of many politicians and political organizations have discouraged many ethical people from participating in national or local elections.
The backgrounds of civil servants should be considered more carefully, given the power they hold and their duty to serve the public, she added.
The caucus is drafting an amendment to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act in the hope of clearing corruption out of Taiwanese politics, and a draft is to be made after party deliberation, Lin said.
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