Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) Chairman Chen Yi-chi (陳奕齊) yesterday filed a complaint accusing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) of spreading false information about TSP Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟).
The lone legislator for the pro-Taiwanese independence party, Chen Po-wei, who represents Taichung’s second electoral district, is facing a recall vote on Oct. 23.
Accompanied by attorney Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎), Chen Yi-chi filed a complaint with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, asking prosecutors to investigate whether Chu had breached the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) by spreading false information.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
While visiting Taichung’s Wurih District (烏日) on Sunday to encourage people to vote “yes” in the recall referendum, Chu accused Chen Po-wei of not doing his duty as a lawmaker and called him a “three-zero” legislator — for initiating “zero legislation,” passing “zero legislation” and receiving a “zero star” rating from independent watchdogs monitoring lawmakers’ performance.
Chu added that Chen Po-wei supports legalizing cannabis, which “would lead to many young people smoking cannabis.”
“This recall vote is a showdown between people fighting narcotics and those advocating cannabis,” he said.
Rebutting Chu’s allegations, the TSP issued a statement saying: “Chu is a shameless liar. His allegation that Chen Po-wei is a ‘three-zero’ legislator is a rumor designed to influence the recall vote.”
A report by the Citizen Congress Watch on the legislative session in the first half of this year shows that Chen Po-wei initiated seven legislative amendments, the statement said.
Chu had cited erroneous information from Pocket Congress, a legislative watchdog that is pro-KMT and funded by the 21st Century Foundation, which is headed by former KMT politician Kao Yu-jen (高育仁), who is Chu’s father-in-law, Chen Yi-chi said.
Chen Po-wei yesterday said that “almost everyone would know right away that what Chu said was not true. I trust that voters are wise and would not believe such erroneous information.”
“The KMT has gone all out mobilizing all its party members and resources to fight one legislator as it tries to unseat me,” he added.
Chu later yesterday said that the TSP’s complaint is a “waste of judicial resources,” insisting that his allegations are true and backed up by media reports.
Democratic Progressive Party politicians have spoken out in support of Chen Po-wei, encouraging people to vote “no,” and saying that he has been a diligent, hardworking legislator who has been steadfast in defending democracy and freedom for Taiwan, and fighting the KMT’s pro-China forces.
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