Election day mischief
A supporter of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) recently applied to use the area around the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Taipei headquarters on Beiping E Road on election day, Jan. 13.
The campaign office of DPP presidential candidate Vice President William Lai (賴清德) is also there. The Taipei City Police Department’s Zhongzheng First Precinct rejected the supporter’s application to avoid potential conflict.
In response, TPP Taipei City Councilor Chen You-cheng (陳宥丞) complained to Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), arguing that people’s right to public property should not be impeded.
TPP legislator-at-large nominee Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) also said that people’s right to freedom of assembly — which is protected by the Constitution — should not be infringed upon.
On election day, supporters usually gather at the headquarters of a political party to await the results. This is especially the case for presidential and legislative elections. It is difficult to estimate the number of supporters planning to gather at headquarters, and it is common for crowds to swarm into the streets in front of or around a party’s headquarters on election day.
What exactly is the intention behind the TPP supporter’s application to use the area in front of Lai’s campaign office on election day? Is it legitimate?
Although the right of access to public property and freedom of assembly are protected by the Constitution, they should be restricted moderately.
If an application does not concern the public interest, is harmful to social order or might cause trouble to society, of course it should be restricted.
The application of a supporter of TPP presidential candidate and Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) for access to the area in front of Lai’s campaign office clearly lacks legitimacy. It is unreasonable and unnecessary to use that area on election day.
Ko’s fan is clearly a troublemaker. The application should be rejected, and the precinct did the right thing after weighing the pros and cons.
Chi An-hsiu
Taipei
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