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Taipei approves DPP government UN relay event

The dispute between the central government and the Taipei City Government over the former's UN bid torch relay, set for today, was resolved at the last minute when the city government approved a permit application for the event.

The application was filed on Monday by the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association (CTRRA) on behalf of the Sport Affairs Council (SAC).

For several days, the city government and the SAC had engaged in a dispute over whether the torch relay -- intended to promote the country's bid to join the UN -- is a political activity or a sports event.

The SAC, which considers the torch relay a sports event, notified the city government of its plans but did not apply for a permit.

However, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) insisted that the relay event is a political activity, for which a permit is required. He said that holding the activity without a permit would be unlawful.

During a question-and-answer session on the legislative floor yesterday, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said the Cabinet had approached the dispute with three principles in mind: that it should try its best to resolve conflict between government agencies; that the event should be held in an orderly manner; and that political conflict should be avoided.

Chang denied that the central government had changed its mind on the nature of the event.

SAC Deputy Chairman Lee Kao-hsiang (李高祥) said the council had also maintained its position that the torch relay is a sports event. Lee said the council had asked the CTRRA to help file the permit application in an attempt to end the dispute.

Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said the Cabinet was happy to see the dispute resolved, calling it a "win-win" situation.

CTRRA Deputy Secretary-General Ho Li-chiung (賀麗瓊) said the association is not a co-organizer of the torch relay, but is assisting the SAC by recruiting athletes to participate in the activity.

Ho said a precedent had been set, as a permit had never before been required for a marathon event.

Meanwhile, the Taipei City Government will send more than 700 police officers to maintain order and to control traffic at the torch relay and the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) cycling event, which also takes place today.

Taipei City Police Department Commissioner Wang Cho-chiun (王卓鈞) said the department would take a flexible approach to traffic control along the routes of the events. Police would not prevent the public from participating in either of the events, he said.

Wang estimated that more than 700 people will participate in the torch relay, which begins in front of the Presidential Office this morning.

He urged drivers and pedestrians who will pass the relay route to follow police instructions.

Hau said the city government would assist with traffic control because legal procedures had been followed.

"The city government doesn't like events being held during the week, as this will cause inconvenience for residents. But we will maintain order to ensure that the events run smoothly," Hau said.

The mayor added that the city government would draw up regulations to control events that are held during the week.

"We respect the public's right to parade and assembly, but we need to make sure that these events do not cause any inconvenience for the majority," he said.

With the dispute seemingly at an end, the DPP yesterday called on the public to participate in the torch relay.

DPP Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told the press yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will light the torch at a ceremony held at 7am on Ketagelan Boulevard and then lead the crowd in a run along the boulevard to Jingfumen (景福門) as the first leg of the relay.

Organizers have arranged a group of 17 athletes to complete the 1,200km torch relay across the country's 25 cities and counties in 11 days.

Cho said Chen would pass the torch to DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and his running mate, Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), 200m before Jingfumen.

Chen told reporters in Kaohsiung that he hoped both the central and local government had learned a lesson as a result of the dispute. He said the torch relay should not be contentious because the ruling and opposition parties were agreed that UN membership was an important goal.

Cho called on the public, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or religion, to participate in the event to show their support for the government's UN bid.

Cho said he hoped as many DPP party members as possible would take part.

DPP Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓), whoalso serves as director of the party's Culture and Information Department and is an avid jogger, called on the KMT to participate.

She said her understanding was that members of the KMT's Youth League had wanted to join the relay but had been instructed not to do so.

During an interview with a radio station in Kaohsiung yesterday, Chen said he would be neglecting his duty as president if he failed to push for UN membership under the name "Taiwan."

Chen said that "returning" to the UN under the name of the "Republic of China," as the KMT has suggested, would be a "major change of the status quo."

The president said the importance of the DPP's referendum proposal, which is in the second stage, rivals that of next year's presidential election.

He said the election equated to a choice between Taiwan and China and expressed confidence in the result, saying he believed Taiwan-centered consciousness would beat out China sentiment.

Chen dismissed speculation that he had tried to outshine Hsieh, saying that the presidential candidate had his full backing.

In a related development, KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) yesterday invited Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) to participate in a debate on whether applying for UN membership using the name "Taiwan" is a practical idea.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan and CNA
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