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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Fu Kun-chi Demands Evidence of Vote-Buying, as Critics List Hualien Cases: Why So Nervous?

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former Financial Times Taiwan correspondent Kathrin Hille alleged that vote-buying was widespread in rural Hualien, prompting Fu Kun-chi to demand evidence and an apology.
  • Activist Chang Yu-meng cited multiple convictions involving KMT-nominated candidates in Hualien and fines imposed on the party through joint liability penalties.
  • Chang also cited 163 election-related cases received before the 2018 local elections and a reported top price of NT$10,000 per vote.

A former Financial Times correspondent's blunt claim that every vote in rural Hualien was bought has triggered an angry political response and a counterattack over the county's record of election bribery.

All the votes there are bought.

— Kathrin HilleThe former Financial Times Taiwan correspondent described alleged vote-buying in rural Hualien during a media interview.

Kathrin Hille, who previously lived in rural Hualien, made the allegation in a recent media interview. Fu Kun-chi, a Hualien lawmaker and caucus leader for Taiwan's Kuomintang in the Legislative Yuan, rejected the claim on Aug. 31 and demanded that Hille provide evidence or apologize. Yu Shu-chen, whom the KMT has drafted as its candidate for Hualien county magistrate, also said she did not rule out legal action.

Chang Yu-meng, chairman of the Taiwan Youth Generation Together Association, said the reaction showed that the KMT was unusually sensitive when vote-buying was discussed. He questioned whether Fu, who had served for many years as both a lawmaker and county magistrate, could have been unaware of earlier cases involving KMT figures.

If there is no evidence, apologize.

— Fu Kun-chiFu demanded evidence and an apology after Hille's allegation.

Chang pointed to the 2009 local elections, when five KMT-nominated candidates, including candidates for township chief, township representative and village chief, received final convictions for vote-buying. The cases led Hualien's election commission to impose a joint liability penalty of NT$4.55 million on the KMT. Chang said a county council candidate was sentenced to two years in prison for vote-buying in 2014, followed by another NT$1.15 million penalty against the party.

Why does the Kuomintang get so nervous whenever vote-buying is mentioned?

— Chang Yu-mengChang criticized the party's response to the allegation.

He also cited figures released by the Hualien District Prosecutors' Office before the 2018 local elections. The office received 163 election-related reports, and the highest alleged price reached NT$10,000 for a single vote. Chang said Hualien accounted for NT$50 million of the NT$500 million in vote-buying reporting rewards issued nationwide over the years. He urged the KMT to explain who had allowed Hualien to reach this point before attacking Hille.

Who made Hualien become like this?

— Chang Yu-mengChang called on the KMT to address the county's history of vote-buying cases.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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