President fined for campaigning

TAIWAN’S President Ma Ying-jeou has been fined Tw$500 000 (R140 000) by electoral authorities for urging his Facebook followers on polling day to vote for him.

Taiwanese election law forbids any form of campaigning on voting day.

Elected in 2008, Ma won a comfortable re-election victory on January 14. He is due to be inaugurated for his second and last four-year term on Sunday. — SAPA-AFP