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2012 ELECTIONS: NSB
watching betting on election
SECURITY CONCERNS: Some participants in illegal
betting might be unstable, the National Security Bureau said, after receiving
threats against Ma in the past six months
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff Reporter
National Security Bureau Director (NSB) Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) yesterday said the
bureau was paying close attention to illegal betting on the outcome of the Jan.
14 presidential election because it would be a key factor in what he termed a
“neck-and-neck” contest.
“With about two months to go until the election and the candidates running
neck-and-neck, bookmakers haven’t yet offered betting odds,” Tsai told a meeting
of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Tsai made the remarks in response to comments by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
Legislator Mark Li (李明星), who said bookmakers had given odds that President Ma
Ying-jeou (馬英九) would beat Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential
candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) with a spread of 200,000 ballots, much narrower
than the 300,000 to 500,000 vote spread predicted a few months ago.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) said he had heard
the bet was that Tsai would lose to Ma by less than 50,000 ballots.
Tsai Der-sheng expressed concern that some participants in illegal betting might
be “emotionally unstable” and therefore engage in activities harmful to the
candidates.
Tsai Der-sheng, along with security-related officials, was asked to brief
lawmakers at the committee on protection measures provided to presidential
candidates.
Special teams from the bureau have taken on the protection of Ma, Tsai Ing-wen
and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) after they registered their
candidacies for the election this week, a task that will last until midnight on
Jan. 15.
The bureau chief said the agency had received 12 pieces of intelligence between
April 28 and Wednesday about people threatening to harm Ma.
Of the 12, eight cases have been closed, while the other four were still under
investigation.
Most cases were just emotional outbursts by disgruntled people as a way to voice
their dissatisfaction, he said.
Tsai Der-sheng said the bureau had tracked down the origin of a threat against
Tsai Ing-wen to set her campaign headquarters on fire, adding that the suspect
had been apprehended.
No threat against Soong has been received to date, the intelligence chief said.
Upon receiving intelligence on possible threats against the candidates, the
bureau immediately launches an investigation, strengthens security measures and
reports the threat to law enforcement officials, Tsai Der-sheng said.
He said the bureau would demand that candidates wear bulletproof vests when
necessary, adding that the three candidates have not had any complaints.
The bureau activated a special center on Nov. 20 that operates 24 hours a day to
respond to issues related to candidates’ security, Tsai Der-sheng said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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