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Academics call for restraint from DPP rally

A group of pan-green academics yesterday called for self-restraint from both sides staging rallies against and in support of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), demanding Chen take the blame should any clashes occur between the two camps during today's rallies.

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德), following the so-called siege of Presidential Office and the president's official residence, was to lead the protesters to a new location at Taipei Railway Station last night for the next five days, and the pan-green camp is due to stage a rally in support of the president today on Ketagalan Boulevard.

Holding the two events in such close proximity has sparked concerns over whether clashes might occur between supporters of the two rallies.

"The head of state should be condemned if any confrontation with anti-Chen protesters takes place," Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明), a professor of Chinese Literature at National Chengchi University, said.

Chen Fang-ming and other pan-green academics, who several weeks ago demanded the president step down amid allegations of corruption involving his family and close aides, told a news conference that the DPP should halt its mobilization efforts.

"Politicians have the duty to engage in dialogue and negotiate to break political deadlock, rather than mobilizing the masses and causing confrontation," the pan-green academics said in a statement entitled "Don't cause confrontation between the people."

In response, DPP Spokesman Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) urged the pan-green academics to apply the same standards to Shih, who since Sept. 9 has led a crowd in a sit-in rally on Ketagalan Boulevard aimed at ousting the president.

While today's rally was initiated by the Taiwan Society, a civil group, the DPP has put a lot of effort into mobilizing party supporters to attend.

"Up until this afternoon, there were 131,000 people signed up for the rally, of which 90,000 are from the DPP," Chet Yang (楊文嘉), secretary-general of the Taiwan Society said, adding that "a turnout of more than 150,000 is expected."

The DPP secretary-general, Lin Chia-Lung (林佳龍), and a group of party figures yesterday made a final appeal to party supporters to take part in the rally.

"The rally is meant to counter the anti-Chen campaign as the remarks made by the campaign's leaders have had a negative influence on society," Lin said.

Lin added, "[The organizers of the anti-Chen campaign] seem to have become crazy and have made comments that have instigated the crowd and provoked the president's supporters."

Despite the DPP's mobilization order, a group of DPP youth members who work as assistants in the offices of DPP legislators called on the party to cancel the order.

They said in a statement that both sides should stop mobilizing people and wait for the judicial investigation to conclude and respect the result.

DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that the president had been inclined to turn up at the rally, but the opinion that his attendance would be inappropriate had prevailed.

"Shih has asked the president to take responsibility for any clashes, suggesting that clashes may really happen. For that reason, Chen shouldn't show up," Ker said.

The president, after giving a speech at a party to celebrate the 185th anniversary of Central American Independence Day yesterday, gave no comment when asked by reporters whether he would attend the rally today.
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