The legislature's Home and Nations Committee yesterday finished a preliminary review of a proposed amendment to the Public Officials Elections and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法) to fight the problem of vote-buying in primary ballots held by political parties.
The plan is to include this proposal on Thursday's agenda for the Legislative Yuan.
Under the amendment, vote-buying in party primaries would be penalized by the same standards as those that apply to the election of public officials.
People engaging in vote-buying in primaries could face imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to NT$6 million. Those who do so for profit -- such as the go-between in a vote-buying deal -- could face imprisonment of up to seven years and fines of up to NT$5 million.
"At present, law-enforcement authorities are not empowered to investigate vote-buying practices in party primaries. There would be a legal basis to conduct such investigations after the amendment," said DPP Legislator Chang Ching-fang (
Chang said the DPP is seeking to have the amendment passed as soon as possible, so that it could be put into force by April 1.
The DPP is set to hold a primary ballot of party members on April 1 as part of a procedure to decide its nominees for the year-end legislative elections.
Chang was among a group of 31 DPP legislators who first raised the proposal to amend the law last week, following reports suggesting rampant vote-buying practices in campaign activities leading up to the primary ballot.
Chang noted that the problem of vote-buying had in fact already occurred in primary ballots held by the DPP in the past, but that the lack of investigative power had always been an obstacle hampering actions taken by the party leadership against the practices.
According to Chang, most of the vote-buying cases in the DPP are connected with the existence of so-called "figurehead party members," who are usually recruited by a middleman for the mere purpose of gaining the qualification to cast votes in the DPP ballots.
The middleman makes a profit by selling the votes that he controls to candidates wishing to purchase them.
Meanwhile, a similar problem has recently been reported within the KMT, which is to hold a primary ballot for the very first time on May 5 to decide its nominees for the legislative elections.
KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) said the amendment is a crucial step stopping corruption.
"We don't wish to see high-caliber politicians lose unfairly [in the primaries] to corrupt politicians," Chen said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old