Tens of thousands of supporters of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday took to Taipei’s streets to drum up support for KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) and legislative candidates in a march calling for the stability of Taiwan.
Waving the Republic of China (ROC) national flags and Chu’s “One Taiwan” campaign flags, party supporters joined several KMT heavyweights in a rally that included three processions setting out between 2pm and 2:30pm.
The march organizer said that about 200,000 people attended the rally, but the Taipei City Police Department estimated the number of participants at 67,000.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The first procession, dubbed “the power of hope,” was led by Chu, his running mate, Jennifer Wang (王如玄), and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). It started from the front gate of National Taiwan University.
“Let us march for Taiwan’s stability. Let us make Jan. 16 a victorious day for the ROC,” Chu said.
Ma said the number of participants in yesterday’s march shows the party’s momentum has been re-invigorated.
Photo: CNA
“Should the KMT fail to remain in power, Taiwan’s stability would definitely go wrong,” Ma said, adding that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) “evasive” stance on the so-called “1992 consensus” has been rather worrisome.
“Maintaining stability is easier said than done. The [cross-strait] ‘status quo’ is the result of our endeavors in the past seven-and-a-half years. It cannot be maintained by someone who refuses to accept the consensus,” Ma said.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The second procession, named “the power of love,” was led by Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), Ma’s wife, Chow Mei-ching (周美青), and Chu’s wife, Kao Wan-chien (高婉倩), which began from the Daan Forest Park in Daan District (大安).
KMT legislative candidate Huang Yao-sheng (黃耀盛) brought two caged piglets to protest Tsai’s perceived inclination to relax the nation’s import regulations on US pork containing ractopamine.
“Many pig farmers in southern Taiwan have expressed grave concerns that if Tsai wins and the DPP wins the legislature, her likely decision to open the nation’s doors to US pork containing ractopamine could jeopardize farmers’ livelihoods,” Huang said.
The third procession, called “the power of unity,” started at the Youth Park in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) and was led by Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
The highlight of the rally was a group of elderly women led by 80-year-old Chiao Lin Ju-ming (喬林如明), who claimed to be the “Tamsui grandma” who talked Chu into running for president.
Chu said at the first televised presidential debate on Dec. 27 that his decision to run for president was prompted by a woman he met in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), who told him: “The gods will not forgive you if you do not run.”
“Today’s rally is different from what we have seen in the past, particularly those held by the DPP. They were usually staged for protesting, fighting and resisting, but the one we see today is positive, sunny and joyful,” Chu told the crowd after the processions converged at Liberty Square against a backdrop of Chinese patriot song Unity is Strength (團結就是力量).
“Since I assumed chairmanship of the KMT I have advocated upgrading Taiwan’s economic capacity and encouraging businesses that make a profit to increase salaries for their employees. It is the KMT’s central belief to share profits with Taiwanese,” Chu said.
Chu said that despite the DPP’s vows to keep US pork products containing ractopamine out of the nation, Tsai has shifted her stance and implied that she plans to permit imports of it at levels that meet international standards.
Ma said that according to governance, the number of nations and regions granting Taiwan visa-free access or landing visa privileges has surged from 54 to 161, thanks to his “viable diplomacy” and decision to put a stop to the meaningless war between Taipei and Beijing of poaching diplomatic allies.
“However, Tsai’s remarks that my diplomacy has left the nation’s foreign affairs personnel not knowing what they are fighting for have exasperated many diplomats, who have endeavored to have Taiwan included in as many visa-waiver programs as possible,” Ma said.
“Tsai is too far away from Taiwanese. We must pursue peace and further cross-strait development, rather than returning to the path of ‘scorched earth’ diplomacy,” Ma said.
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