Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) With the parliamentary and local elections only two weeks off, President Chen Shui-bian Saturday waged a relentless war on vote-buying, calling for public cooperation in ensuring a truly clean electoral race.
Speaking before a rally against vote-buying in Taichung, Chen promised the law enforcement authorities will do what they can to eradicate all irregularities in the elections of legislators, county magistrates and city mayors on December 1.
There shall be no expiration of the statute of limitation for vote-buying, Chen said. "Nor shall there be any haven for vote-buyers no matter how high a public office they may hold," he vowed.
No vote-buying, even on the lowest scale, shall be condoned, Chen said.
The president called on all candidates and their parties to refrain from buying votes. "I hope," Chen said, "the public will cooperate in our effort to ensure clean elections."
Taiwan's first elections of the new century would usher in much needed political reform, if they were free of irregularities, Chen said. Vote-buying and other election irregularities have tainted the fame of Taiwan as a democracy, he added.