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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》Wu Den-yih chastises KMT accusers
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） chairperson candidate Wu Den-yih speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
EVIDENCE DEMANDED: The chairperson candidate said Steve Chan should provide evidence, or people would assume that Chan’s rivals in the KMT race were suspects
By Alison Hsiao and Shih Hsiao-kuang / Staff reporters
Former vice president and Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） chairperson candidate Wu Den-yih （吳敦義） yesterday said it was irresponsible to accuse candidates of bribery, after fellow candidate Steve Chan （詹啟賢） said that offering money in return for support from party representatives and councilors was rife in the KMT.
Chan on Friday said that the chairperson election has been beset with problems, such as the registration of dummy members and some with backgrounds in organized crime, quid pro quo deals and free banquets to woo supporters.
“In one county, I was told that a party representative’s vote was worth NT$60,000, a KMT Youth Work Committee member’s was worth NT$100,000 and a councilor’s was worth NT$200,000,” Chan said at a meeting with fellow KMT members at his campaign office. “How far could the party fall?”
Chan, who is also a former KMT vice chairman, said a leader relying on such tactics would not win the respect of the people.
Wu said that more concrete details should be revealed.
“It is brave of Chan to reveal scandals, but if he fails to provide evidence of bribery, such as which county and which candidate was involved, the revelations could create adverse effects,” Wu said.
“Without more detailed information, the accusations are likely to lead people to assume that all of the candidates, apart from Chan, are suspects,” Wu said.
“It is immoral” to make an accusation as general as that, he said, adding that they could affect the party’s image.
KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu （洪秀柱） urged Chan to provide evidence to the party headquarters so a thorough investigation could be conducted and heavy punishments could be meted out.
“It would inflict serious harm on the party if these are just rumors,” Hung said.
Chan yesterday said that he constantly hears about bribery cases when visiting local chapters and called on the party headquarters to face the allegations squarely.
“Would it be right or good if you told the Ministry of Justice there was a problem with illegal drugs, but the ministry asked you to provide evidence before informing it of the problem?” Chan asked.
KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin （郝龍斌）, who is among the six candidates, said he also often hears about corruption from local members, including bribery in the form of meals or subsidies.
Such tactics “would definitely leave a trace; those given free banquets would know who paid and those who are asked to support a candidate in exchange for gifts would know who offered the gift,” Hau said.
“If the party wants reform, its members have to end such corruption,” he said. “Do not hurt the party if you love the party.”
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） chairperson candidate Steve Chan speaks at a seminar in Miaoli County yesterday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
