Two opposition legislators and a pair of opposition party officials were subpoenaed by police yesterday for their conduct during the Double Ten National Day celebrations.
The investigation stems from scuffles between pan-green and pan-blue lawmakers which marred President Chen-Shui-bian's (陳水扁) Double Ten National Day speech outside the Presidential Office.
The event was attended by foreign dignitaries.
The day's festivities began with red-clad Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] and People First Party (PFP) legislators attempting to disrupt the president's speech, chanting "A-bian step down," making thumbs-down gestures and holding up red banners that read "Depose Chen."
"A-bian" is the president's nickname.
PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) also tried to lead his party members in approaching Chen during the middle of the president's speech.
One of the men subpoenaed, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Chao-jung (陳朝容), said yesterday that because the celebration's preparatory committee had erected a white cloth barrier separating the lawmaker's seats from the president's grandstand, the ceremony became "like a memorial service," so that he had decided to leave. However, he denied disrupting the ceremony.
"The police dare not probe big cases, but choose to investigate trivial matters like this," Chen Chao-jung told the press yesterday as he completed a police interview in Taipei.
PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), also questioned yesterday, said he had not disturbed the marching honor guards, but ran between them using "rugby skills" he had learned at school.
The other two who were subpoenaed were PFP communications department deputy head Wu Kun-yu (吳崑玉) and Soong's secretary, Wei Chih-chung (魏志中). The pair were seen to hold signs reading "A-bian step down" behind President Chen.
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