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2012 ELECTIONS: KMT
plans illegal mobilization: DPP
‘BLUE EAGLE’: The DPP said that the minutes of a
meeting in Hsinchu County showed that prize money would be awarded to KMT
campaigners for high voter turnouts
By Chris Wang and Mo Yan-chih / Staff Reporters
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is planning an illegal mobilization next
Saturday for the presidential and legislative elections, the Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday. The allegation was dismissed by the KMT,
which challenged the DPP to report the case to prosecutors if it is sure the
plan is illegal.
Citing documents obtained from the KMT, DPP spokesperson Kang Yu-cheng (康裕成)
told a press conference that the party is planning to provide transportation
services and to mobilize voters via text messages and telephone calls next
Saturday in a systematic, nationwide project codenamed “Blue Eagle.”
Kang urged prosecutors to launch an investigation into the project, which he
said could be a violation of the election laws and a case of fraud that puts the
fairness of the elections at risk.
The KMT launched the project with seminars held in Greater Kaohsiung’s Nanzi
(楠梓) and Zuo-ying (左營) districts on Dec. 6, Kang said.
The minutes of a meeting at the joint campaign headquarters of President Ma
Ying-jeou (馬英九) and KMT legislative candidate Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) in Cyonglin
Township (芎林), Hsinchu County, showed that prize money would be awarded to local
campaigners if voter turnout exceeds specific percentages, Kang said.
“It is a suspected act of vote-buying,” she said, adding that election laws
prohibit campaigning of any form on the day of an election.
“We are afraid the KMT, with its large party assets and resources, could resort
to all kinds of secret operations, including this project, to gain an illegal
advantage in the elections,” she said.
According to Central Election Commission regulations, any form of campaigning
for specific candidates, such as providing voters with transportation services,
mobilizing voters via text messages or any other form of communication and
wearing clothing that identifies a specific party or candidate on the day of an
election are all illegal and violators are subject to a fine of between
NT$500,000 and NT$5 million (US$16,500 to US$165,000), DPP lawyer Liao Hung-ling
(廖虹羚) said.
Election law does not prohibit voters transporting handicapped family members to
voting booths, lawyer Yuan Hsiu-hui (袁秀慧) said, but it does bar anyone from
providing voters with mass transportation between their residences and polling
stations.
In response to the allegations, Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), deputy executive director
of Ma’s re-election campaign, said the election mobilization measures to be
undertaken by the KMT are legal.
“The DPP has made many groundless accusations recently and tried to misguide
voters with false information,” Lo said.
“We urge the DPP to focus on its own campaign and to stop the smear campaign
against us,” Lo added.
If the DPP finds evidence of any illegal actions by the KMT during the election
campaign, it should report the case to prosecutors, he added.
KMT Culture and Communication Committee director Chuang Po-chun (莊伯仲) also
denied the DPP’s accusations.
The “Blue Eagle” plan, he said, was the name of a KMT project four years ago
that mobilized party members to cast their votes on the day of the 2008
presidential election.
The title of this year’s vote mobilization plan is the “vote--consolidation
project,” which aims to remind party members to cast their votes on the day of
the elections via telephone calls.
As for the KMT’s instructions that party members should help transport disabled
and elderly voters to polling stations and to offer other assistance on polling
day, Chuang said it was a friendly gesture and reminder to party members,
denying any illegal act is involved.
“The KMT is following the Election and Recall Act (選舉罷免法) closely and it will
not engage in any illegal measures,” he said.
With the approach of the presidential and legislative elections next Saturday,
Chuang urged the DPP not to use any “vicious” campaign tactics in the last week
of the campaign.
To prevent any last-minute campaign tactics from affecting the elections, the
KMT said that it has established a tactic-prevention mechanism and instructed
party workers to clarify any rumors immediately via telephone calls and text
messages to party members.
The KMT has also purchased TV and radio slots to immediately clarify any smear
campaign that might be launched, Chuang said.
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