On Monday October 22, Taiwan’s Investigation Bureau chief said in a Legislative Yuan hearing that the bureau had gathered intelligence that indicated the Chinese government had intervened in Taiwan’s election in the form of financial transfers.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang responded that such a claim was “a pure fabrication.”
In response to TAO, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that, according to the provisions of the Political Contribution Law and the Criminal Law, foreign forces may not provide political contributions to Taiwan’s election candidates or to groups, and may not intervene illegally in Taiwan’s elections. The Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice also stated that the judicial prosecuting authorities have investigated the relevant cases and that this Council does not express opinions.
MAC said that the government attaches great importance to and will fully safeguard the fairness and impartiality of the year-end elections. To this end, the election authorities and the police force have strengthened countermeasures to prevent external forces from improper intervention intended to undermine the operation of Taiwan’s democratic system.
MAC pointed out that the Chinese authorities used to use the cross-strait exchange platform to conduct United Front work to divide Taiwan and take advantage of any pre-election opportunities in order to make trouble. In the past, Beijing has used military exercises and harsh criticism in an attempt to interfere or influence elections. The Taiwanese people are very offended.
MAC appealed to mainland China asking it to face the cross-strait reality, respect and learn from Taiwan’s democratic electoral system, and not intervene in Taiwan’s elections and interfere in Taiwan’s internal affairs. The mainland should respect Taiwan’s democratic electoral mechanism and the people’s right to free elections.
Source: Central News Agency, October 22, 2018
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201810220349.aspx
