|
2012 ELECTIONS:
Funding for observers allegedly delayed
HUGE DEMAND: MOFA denied it had told its
overseas missions to arrange visits for international groups wishing to observe
the elections in January until after the polls
By J. Michael Cole / Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has allegedly postponed all funding for
groups of international academics who had applied to come to Taiwan to monitor
the January elections, sources said yesterday.
In one case, a group of four academics from Australia that obtained approval
more than a month ago was informed by officials at the Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office in Canberra on Thursday that the grant would be postponed until
late January, meaning that it would be made available only after the elections.
For that delegation, funding was to cover accommodation for four nights and five
days through the Jan. 14 elections, as well as airfares. The members of the
delegation were informed about the decision in writing.
According to one source knowledgeable of the affair, the decision came from
“high up” at the ministry and “all delegations,” including those from the US and
Europe, were also reportedly informed that funding deals were postponed.
The source said the ministry claimed it had been “deluged” with applications and
did not have sufficient resources or funding to support them, and that rather
than having to choose between delegations, it had opted for postponement.
The decision has given rise to speculation among some of the would-be delegates
that the real reason behind the decision to postpone the visits is that
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration is nervous about the outcome of
the elections and does not want to lose face in the presence of foreign
observers.
Another source contacted for comment said that if the reason behind the decision
to postpone the visits was a lack of finances or human resources, then the
funding would have been canceled altogether rather than pushed back until after
the election.
In response, ministry spokesman James Chang (章計平) yesterday denied that the
ministry had instructed its overseas missions to arrange visits for
international election observers to the country after the election date.
“As a democratic country based on the rule of law, it is impossible that we
would reject international election observers. The ministry welcomes election
observers and is willing to provide administrative assistance,” Chang said.
Chang said that earlier this month, the ministry issued an instruction to its
overseas missions setting out guidelines about invitations to election
observers.
Because of budget limitations, the ministry would not invite extensive numbers
of people from the international community to observe the election, but it did
not ask that visits scheduled to observe the election be postponed indefinitely,
he said.
In related developments, the Taipei Times has learned that efforts are ongoing
in the US to have high-profile observers present in Taiwan during and after the
elections. According to one of the individuals involved in those efforts, former
US president Jimmy Carter has been approached to lead the delegation of “fair
election observers.”
Carter’s office has yet to respond to the invitation.
Staff from Republican and Democrat members of the US Congress are also
reportedly planning to send delegations to Taiwan to monitor the elections.
The potential US delegation, which is working closely with US representative
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, is also hoping the US will send carrier groups to patrol
international waters west of Taiwan, as it has done during past presidential
elections. It is hoped the patrol would last until May, when the new or
re-elected president steps into office.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
|
