As opposition backers converged for marches yesterday morning, thousands of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters hoisted brooms high in the sky in a symbolic gesture to wipe out "black-gold" politics.
Branding the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) half-century long rule over the country as a "black-gold" regime, the DPP showed large photos of Taiwan's 10 most-wanted fugitives outside its local campaign headquarters across the nation.
To challenge the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance's marches around the country, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu's (呂秀蓮) campaign teams launched the "Grand Green Sweeping" activity to kick a series of events over the weekend.
PHOTO: LOH PEI-DEH, TAIPEI TIMES
Ridiculing the blue camp's decision not to call its marches an "anti-black-gold" campaign, Chen said: "The KMT didn't dare to make `anti-black gold' the theme of the marches. It knows doing so would hurt itself because it has been practicing black-gold politics."
"The blue camp opposes A-bian (
For the "Grand Green Sweeping," every DPP local campaign headquarters recruited 100 people, each holding a broom and standing in front of the photos of the fugitives.
At 10am sharp, the groups lifted up their brooms and started sweeping the fugitives' photos.
The fugitives included former chairman of Tuntex, Chen Yu-hao (
At the DPP national campaign headquarters in Taipei, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
"The DPP believes in Taiwan and the people. It will insist on reform. I believe President Chen and Vice President Lu will continue efforts to wipe out black gold after they are re-elected," Su said.
DPP campaign spokesman Wu Nai-jen (
"In terms of the two events' historical significance, the 228 event is undoubtedly more meaningful than the blue-camp's rally yesterday. The 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally will be the one that leaves its mark in history," Wu said.
Meanwhile, to show their determination to curb bribery in the election, a group of Ilan investigators launched an anti-bribery parade, which attracted thousands of participants.
A small crowd of President Chen backers was seen in the parade. They painted their faces black to imitate Bao Qingtian, a legendary 11th-century judge with a dark face.
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