Almost all 1,529 delegates cast votes in the election of the powerful central standing committee. Turnout was 96.27 percent.

Wu Poh-hsiung, outgoing KMT chairman, deplored the alleged party-wide rigging after he cast his ballot right after President Ma Ying-jeou early in the morning. Ma is all set to double as chairman replacing Wu at a KMT national congress, which will take place at Yangmingshan in suburban Taipei on October 17.

“I've heard a lot about the charges and countercharges among contenders for the central standing committee,” Wu said. “We have issued strong warnings,” he added.

The going price for a vote for a central standing committee seat is NT$30,000, KMT sources said. “That's much higher than in 2005,” one source said.

Four years ago, the KMT was an opposition party. More money had to be given away to secure a spot on the committee, an equivalent of a politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, now that the KMT runs the government.

Sumptuous dinners have been hosted and expensive gifts given away to increase the odds of 46 candidates vying for 32 posts on the committee, which attends to the day-to-day business of the party in dichotomy with the Cabinet.

Most allegations were made by members of the League of Regretful Kuomintang Delegates to the 18th party congress. Even a heavyweight who is a committee member was forced to wine and dine delegates, said one member of the league who refused to be identified.

Even policemen on their beats were asked to campaign for a few candidates for the KMT politburo.

“We'll investigate all allegations,” KMT secretary-general Chan Chun-po promised.

“Anybody found to have violated the no-vote-buying order of the party to get elected will have his election invalidated,” Chan threatened.

Thirty-two members of the central standing committee were duly elected.

Hung Yu-chin, a former lawmaker, garnered the most votes. He got 1,099.

Legislator Huang Chao-hsun followed with 1,064 votes. There was a three-way tie at third. Ex-lawmaker Yao Chiang-lin, lawmaker Lee Chuan-chiao and honorary KMT chairman Lien Chan's son Lien Sheng-wen received 1,055 votes each.

KMT leaders, on the other hand, are worried that the new central committee may stain the clean image of the new concurrent chairman.

“Such a committee will be unruly at the very least,” said a top member of the party's consultative council. “Particularly, at a time when the party has to stand united and go all-out to win the forthcoming local elections,” he added.

Altogether 17 magistrates and mayors will be elected at the year-end poll, while the KMT ousted seven candidates who are running against its nominees.

Expelled were Fu Kun-chi, Wu Fu-tung, Chen Chen-sheng, Lin Sheng-fen, Chang Chih-ming, Wu Cheng-tien, and Hsu Ching-min.

Fu, the lawmaker from Hualien, and Chang Chih-ming, the incumbent deputy magistrate of the east Taiwan county, are running against the KMT nominee, Tu Li-hua.

Tu has no chance of outpolling either of them. Fu is the local boss, while Chang is supported by the Democratic Progressive Party.

Wu Fu-tung is campaigning against lawmaker John Wu, the KMT nominee for magistrate of Taoyuan. John Wu, a son of the outgoing KMT chairman, is strongly favored to win, however.

Chen is pitting himself apgainst Lee Chao-ching, incumbent magistrate of Nantou running for a second term.

Lin wants to replace Huang Ming-hui, mayor of Chiayi seeking re-election.

Chang Ching-min and Wu Cheng-tien are running for magistrate of Kinmen or Quemoy. The KMT nominee is Lee Chu-feng, the incumbent magistrate.

One more member was expelled last week. She is Hsinchu county council speaker Chang Pi-chin, who bolted the party to run for magistrate of the Hakka-dominated county in north Taiwan.

Lawmaker Chiu Ching-chun is being fielded in Hsinchu by the ruling party.

Asked if Cheng Yung-chin, magistrate of Hsinchu forbidden to run for a third term, would be expelled for electioneering for the lady council speaker, Yuan Kang-meng, chairman of the KMT disciplinary committee, said “a close eye is being cast over him.”

“Should he be found to stump for her,” Yuan said, “Cheng would be ousted as well.”

The ruling party is likely to lose the local elections in all seven counties except Quemoy and Taoyuan.