Kinmen probes 'ghost' population

Prosecutor Chang Han-sheng of the Kinmen District Prosecutors Office and other judicial officials found that only the house's owner, surnamed Fan, and her family of four members, actually resided in Kinmen, while 19 others registered there were Taiwanese businessmen working in China, or their children.

Fans contended that the Taiwanese businessmen operating in China are friends of hers and were registered there only because of the generous benefits enjoyed by Kinmen residents and not because of the upcoming election for county magistrate.

Fan explained that when the “mini three links” were launched in 2001, only Kinmen residents were allowed to take the convenient ferries between Kinmen and Xiamen, compelling her friends to register their residences at her address to facilitate their travel to and from China.

Direct flights between Taiwan and China were not launched until 2008, prior to which travelers between the two countries had to transit in third countries or territories.

Fan said that her friends later found that Kinmen residents also received 20 percent discounts on air tickets between Kinmen and Taiwan proper and could also purchase the county's popular Kaoliang liquor — a strong liquor made of fermented sorghum — at a discount during Chinese New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“They just don't want to move away, but they have never voted in elections,” Fan insisted.

She said she could not turn down the requests of friends to register in her household, but if the benefits offered by the county government were scrapped, she was sure her friends would leave.

The raid Friday was part of the county government's concerted effort to eliminate the “ghost” population from voter rolls to ensure fair year-end, “three-in-one” — county magistrate, councilor, and township head — elections.

Seven candidates have registered for the county magistrate race.

The investigation, which began earlier this year, initially found that out of 90,000 people registered as residents of Kinmen, some 5,000 are suspected of not actually living there.

Chang urged people not to falsely register their households in Kinmen and that he would continue to persuade the “ghost” population to remove their names from household registration lists.

Observers said that checking on this “ghost” population has been the focus of the present anti-bribery campaign, because with the island's small population, elections are often decided by close margins.

If one candidate were to mobilize the “ghost” population, it could easily swing the outcome of the election.

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