Poll victors will soon fight another day
THE winners of yesterday's by-elections for Taoyuan county commissioner and Hualien city mayor will only serve in office for nine months before new elections have to be held.
Lawmakers have called for revisions to legislation currently requiring by-elections to be held if an office holder dies or steps down with more than one year left in his or her term of office. The by-election for commissioner of Taoyuan County had to be called after former commissioner Liu Pang-yu was shot dead at his official residence last November.
Six other people, mostly friends and deputies from the Taoyuan County Council, were also murdered in the attack.
Despite mobilising a record number of police and investigators, law enforcement authorities have still not tracked down the killers.
The incident's sole survivor, Taoyuan County Council deputy Teng Wen-chang, is still being treated at a local hospital for gunshot wounds.
Police are hoping Mr Teng will eventually help them identify the killers and their motive.
Another witness, a Filipino maid who worked at Liu's home, returned to Taiwan last month from the Philippines to assist investigators.
The by-election for Hualien mayor had to be called after the city's original mayor was convicted on corruption charges last year.
