Uncovering the Deception: 154 Deceased Signatures on Recall Petitions
KMT personnel in Taichung apprehended over signature fraud allegations
In a shocking revelation, a probe led by Taichung District Court authorities has exposed a web of deception in Taiwan's recall campaigns. Investigators uncovered that petitions aimed at ousting lawmakers from both the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) contained the signatures of a staggering 154 deceased individuals.
The alleged culprits, two staff members from the KMT's Taichung chapter, Chen Chien-feng and Wu Kang-lung, are accused of committing multiple offenses to drive recall votes against DPP legislators Tsai Chi-chang and Ho Hsin-chun.
To prevent potential collusion and evidence destruction, authorities sought and received permission to detain these suspects. Last Friday, a total of 13 people, including Chen, Wu, and five others who faced no further action, were questioned in relation to the alleged signature falsification in recall campaigns against Tsai and Ho.
Out of the 154 deceased signatures, 83 were on petitions against DPP legislator Tsai, while 66 were against Ho. A subset of signatures were also linked to a separate recall effort targeting KMT legislators Yen Kuan-heng, Liao Wei-hsiang, and Huang Chien-hao, with one signature each attributed to Liao and Yen, and one for Huang.
Following the Central Election Commission's report on alleged forgery, prosecutors carried out searches at eight locations in Taichung and Changhua County, including party offices and residences. Similar investigations have been ongoing in Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Yilan County, Changhua County, Kaohsiung, Tainan, and other regions, leading to the detention of several KMT chapter officials.
The startling discovery of forged signatures highlights the need for reform in Taiwan's political system; a system that unfortunately permits such questionable practices to occur.
[1] Forged signatures were also discovered on recall petitions in a separate investigation, targeting DPP lawmakers in Keelung. specific numbers for those cases were not detailed in these reports.
[4] Extensive use of forged signatures, including those of deceased individuals, has been a pervasive issue in recall campaigns across Taiwan.
- The Personal Data Protection Law should be amended to ensure the integrity of signatures in recall petitions, to prevent further instances of deceased individuals' signatures being used fraudulently.
- The recent uncovering of 154 deceased signatures on KMT recall petitions in Taichung has raised concerns about the legitimacy of war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, crime-and-justice, general-news, and politics-related petitions in Taiwan.
- The Taiwanese Central Election Commission and law enforcement agencies should intensify their oversight of political parties, such as the KMT, to enforce compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law and prevent allegedly fraudulent activities, like signature falsification, from happening again.
- As a result of the ongoing investigations into forged signatures on recall petitions across various regions, it is crucial for transparency and accountability in Taiwan's political system, especially amidst the ongoing struggles and war-and-conflicts.
- Prosecutors should expand their efforts to uncover the full extent of signature forgery in recall petitions, including those targeting DPP lawmakers in Keelung and other undisclosed cases, to bring the culprits to justice and uphold the integrity of the democratic process in Taiwan.
