SECURITY STILL A CONCERN FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Following the election-eve shooting incident last November, many lawmakers are wondering whether the government has learned the lesson and has been taking precautions against potential campaign violence in the presidential race next year. And the director of National Security Bureau admitted in the Legislature on Monday that due to limitations in current laws, there is still room for improvement regarding the protection of candidates.

Next year, January 14th will be the date of the presidential election and the legislative election.

The individual responsible for the safety of presidential candidates is National Security Bureau Director,

Tsai Der-sheng. He said he would mobilize the Secret Service Center, soldiers and police officers for a total of 226 staff to carry out this work.

3 different groups would have another 45 individuals taking part in this work.

A number of legislators are worried as the 319 shooting brought up some concerns, especially the use of fireworks.

The National Security Act only provides limited provisions as they can only appeal to candidates for cooperation which is not mandatory.

Tsai also stressed that each party's candidate should register with the NSB, and later, the bureau will provide intelligence to the candidate.

Like past activities, the military and police would lend support, though some legislators worried that the election could lead to security concerns.

The NSB applied for a budget of 120mn NT$ for the election, slightly less than previous years, with Tsai saying the budget is to replace older equipment and was confident funds would be sufficient to ensure public safety during the election.

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