Taiwan Church News 3281 Edition January 12 - 18, 2015 Headline News PCT Tainan Presbytery Urges A Prompt Legal Investigation Into Vote Buying Scandal In Tainan City Council Reported by Hwang Yi-lek, Chen Yi-hsaun and Fan Lang-ting Though Democratic Progressive Party(DPP), the chief opposition party, gained a land-slide victory in the so-called nine-in-one election at last year's end-November, the election of Tainan City Council Speaker from the council members, which was effectively dominated by DPP over half seats, bumped into a great fiasco and lost to Lee Chuan-chiau, a prosecuted vote-buying city councilman in this election and a central committee member of Kuo-Ming-Tang(KMT, or the Nationalist Party)also suspected of vote-buying previously. Mr Lai Chin-der, the second term winner of Tainan City Mayor who has reaped an approving votes above 70% - the highest among the whole nation, bombards such incredible democratic scandal a disgrace to Tainan citizens and pledges he would not step into Tainan City Council once the legal prosecution of vote-buying is not cleared. Lai explicitly points out the real cause of this scandal is due to some DPP city council members "cannot resist [money] temptation". As Mayor Lai's decision, no stepping into Tainan City Council and appealing to a direct surveillance from citizens, incurs many comments pro and con island-wide, Minister of Interior therefore issues warning that Lai's absence to attend City Council Assembly may go against Local Government Law. Against such criticism, Mr Chen Chong-yen, Director of Tainan City Affairs Bureau and a member of PCT Nan-men Church, responds that Mayor's Lai's decision to be absent in City Council is a more difficult decision than a compliance to current local law and regulation. Chen says, witnessing many vote-buying culprits got caught on behalf of Lee Chuan-chiau, within the election of both the council membership and the council speaker, Mayor Lai is determined to guard against the corruption of democratic values treasured by Tainan citizens. As Taiwan's local election is long term dominated by money and mafia violence, this is a chance to call back the attention of the public and change the culture of local politics once for all, says Chen. On this election scandal of Tainan City Council Speaker, PCT Tainan Presbytery also delivers a statement on January 13, urging Tainan Local Court proceed a prompt legal investigation and an early sentence, based on the appreciation and prudence of democratic values, in order to facilitate the well-beings of Tainan citizens. The scripture of Job 15:31, "Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence", is also incited to remind the people in powers. Translated by Peter Wolfe |