Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Prosecutors' conclusion that theelection-eve shooting of a former vice-president's son last Novemberwas an accident strengthened the opposition Democratic ProgressiveParty's (DPP) petition for an election recall, the party'slegislative caucus said Friday.
DPP caucus whip Kuan Bi-ling said that if the shooting of SeanLien, a popular figure in the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and son offormer Vice President Lien Chan, was truly an accident, then herparty's argument that the KMT's victories should be nullified gainedground.
The incident garnered nationwide attention and was believed bymany, especially the pro-DPP green camp, of having helped KMTcandidates bag three out of the five seats up for grabs in the Nov.27 mayoral elections.
News of the shooting quickly spread to major televised campaignrallies being held that night, with KMT candidates imploring theiraudiences to pray for Lien and oppose violence.
But Kuan said several KMT lawmakers at the rallies hinted thatthe DPP was behind the violence, behavior interpreted by the DPP asthe KMT's intention to sway voters.
DPP lawmaker Ker Chien-ming more directly accused KMT legislatorsChou Yi and Lu Shiow-yen of inferring that the election-eve shootingwas related to the DPP.
By doing so, the two had clearly violated the Election and RecallAct by "deliberately preventing a candidate from getting elected, "Ker said.
After an intensive investigation that lasted nearly two months,the Banciao District Prosecutors Office on Friday handed downindictments against shooting suspect Lin Cheng-wei, nicknamed "HorseFace, " on manslaughter and attempted murder charges and recommendedthat he be given the death sentence.
In describing the bizarre incident, a spokeswoman for theprosecutors office said the gunman intended to shoot a New TaipeiCity Council candidate Chen Hung-yuan at Chen's campaign rally, buthe mistook Lien for Chen and shot Lien instead.
Lien sustained a facial injury while the same bullet also killedan innocent bystander in the audience.
Ker said that although the prosecutors' explanation of theshooting did not directly buttress the DPP's lawsuit, the prosecutorsneeded to do everything they could to get to the bottom of the case.
Otherwise, the KMT would have to shoulder any negativeconsequences resulting from the shooting, he said.
(By Jenny W. Hsu)
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