TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Enoch Wu (吳怡農), the founder of Forward Alliance (壯闊台灣聯盟), criticized Taiwan People's Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲)'s election subsidy use on Tuesday (Aug. 27). Wu's comments came amid controversy over Ko using NT$43 million election subsidy to purchase a private office.
Wu emphasized that the core value of election subsidies is to encourage political participation and competition, thereby enhancing the quality of democracy. He argued that subsidies should not be distributed based on vote counts post-election but should instead be allocated during the election to ensure fair competition.
Other democracies' experiences are worth learning from. Wu took Japan and the U.S., for example. Japan provides accessible venues for speeches and restricts poster placement to designated boards. In the U.S., many local governments double-match small donations to balance the influence of large donors.
Meanwhile, Wu pointed out that although regulations do not limit the use of these funds, they need to meet societal expectations for an accountable political culture.
Wu believes Taiwan's new politics could start with "accountability" and "transparency." He further proposed that lawmakers could amend the law to require candidates to deposit election subsidies into their political donation accounts, with mandatory reporting and public disclosure of their use.
