Prosecutors in Taiwan's Yilan County have charged a man with intimidating three would-be candidates into quitting a local race, a case that points to election pressure at the grassroots level.

• A man surnamed Tsai allegedly threatened three people planning to run for local office in Zhuangwei Township, demanding they withdraw and take down their campaign signs.
• The threats came just before the deadline to register as a candidate, so pushing rivals out would have locked them out of the race entirely.
• Investigators say he was acting to clear the field for one particular candidate he favored.
• Police searched his property under a court warrant and detained him; he was released on bail of NT$100,000 and barred from contacting the three men or any witnesses.

Outlook: The case now moves toward prosecution under Taiwan's election law, with more scrutiny likely on strong-arm tactics ahead of the local elections.