Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday urged supporters to join him at a rally on Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard on Thursday to show their love for the Republic of China.
The rally would be the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate’s final large-scale campaign event in the capital before Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections.
Quoting the lyrics of Night Raid (夜襲), a military song, Han said that he would be ready to “launch a lightning attack” and fight “a fierce battle” to secure victory.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
“I know that all my good friends and supporters have been waiting for this moment for a very long time,” he said. “I urge all of you to join the event on Ketagalan Boulevard to express your support, faith and love for the Republic of China.”
The KMT’s 15 mayors and county commissioners would attend the rally, as would its legislative candidates from Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung, KMT Vice Chairman Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) said.
KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) would also attend, Tseng said.
Han’s campaign office hopes that about 1 million people attend, office spokeswoman Anne Wang (王淺秋) said, adding that there would be a surprise guest.
While the KMT had planned to hold the rally on the eve of the elections, it could not find a venue in the city, as the Democratic Progressive Party had booked the boulevard for Friday.
Asked about remarks President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made yesterday that Han should apologize for his comments about a deadly helicopter crash, Wang said Han was merely expressing concerns about the nation.
A UH-60M Black Hawk on Thursday crashed in New Taipei City, killing eight of the 13 military personnel on board.
Speaking at a rally in Taoyuan on Sunday, Han said: “In the Republic of China’s decades-long history, there has never been an accident in which the chief of the general staff and the chief master have been killed at the same time.”
“The nation is having bad luck. What exactly is happening? Did Taiwan offend someone? Is Taiwan possessed by evil spirits? Is Taiwan sick?” he asked.
Han did not intend to attack anyone, Wang said yesterday, adding: “Exaggerating his words for political gain is what I would call an attack.”
As president, Tsai’s priority should be ensuring a swift investigation to clarify the cause of the incident, Wang said.
Later yesterday, Han announced a plan to boost visitor numbers to the National Palace Museum Southern Branch in Taibao City (太保), Chiayi County.
He would develop cultural, educational and recreation industries in the area, Han told reporters outside the National Palace Museum in Taipei following a tour of it.
He visited the Taipei museum to consult former National Palace Museum director Chou Kung-shin (周功鑫) about problems at the southern branch, Han said.
National Palace Museum Deputy Director Huang Yung-tai (黃永泰) said that Han contravened the institute’s rules by talking to the media outside the museum.
The museum bans all campaign-related activities on its grounds, Huang said, adding that museum staff tried to stop the mayor, but to no avail.
Additional reporting by Ling Mei-hsueh and CNA
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