Asia Democracy Research Network Year Six - Campaign Finance in Taiwan

The Political Donations Act was finally promulgated during the Chen Shui-bian administration right before the presidential election of 2004, eighteen years after the beginning of the country’s political liberalization. [...] Following the government’s open data commitment, the Control Yuan has published the data including the names of the owners of the designated accounts, the names of the donors to these accounts, and the amount they contributed on its website ( ). [...] Quid Pro Quo According to the government reports, a large share of the violations of the Campaign Donation Act concerned the recipients. [...] Judges need to prove the the causal relationship between the receipt of money and taking measures that favor the donors. [...] The law stipulates that “A lobbied person shall, after receiving lobbying materials, inform the agency's responsible unit within seven days of the following items: (1) the lobbyists; (2) the lobbying time, place and method, and; (3) the content of the lobbying.” A great majority of lobbyists choose not to register, instead hiding their lobbying behaviors.