A sitting borough chief in Taoyuan's Pingzhen District was caught paying a would-be challenger to drop out, the first vote-buying case of its kind ahead of Taiwan's local elections.

• Prosecutors and investigators caught the incumbent handing over cash to a potential rival, asking him to abandon his campaign.
• The arrest came just as candidate registration for the year-end local elections opened.
• The money was seized on the spot and the incumbent was released on bail; the other man was let go without bail.
• The charge is offering a bribe to get a qualified candidate to withdraw, a crime under Taiwan's election law.
• The same borough chief won his current term by just seven votes, which helps explain the pressure to keep challengers out.

Outlook: Prosecutors will keep building the case as registration closes, and more scrutiny of backroom deals in local races is likely.