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Rally is just the beginning: Tsai

A worker prepares to unload barriers to be placed along Ketagalan Boulevard yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s Democratic Progressive Party-organized demonstration. PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) planned mass protest tomorrow over what it sees as the government＊s risky cross-strait and economic policies is only the start of a series of activities that might include initiating a recall motion to unseat President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.

"We are concerned about the government's cross-strait policy, which lacks not only transparency but also checks and balances," Tsai told an international press conference on why the party is staging the rally, adding that her party "would not rule out initiating a recall motion to unseat Ma if he fails to heed the public's concerns."

Tsai said the DPP's rally in Taipei was aimed at telling Ma that his policies harm Taiwan.

Without seeking a consensus and formal approval from the legislature, the Ma administration had instituted what the DPP deems as improper and risky China policies, including opening up the nation at the expense of its sovereignty, she said.

"We do not oppose forging ties with China, but this has to be done prudently in a step-by-step process," she said.

Tsai said that by engaging China, Ma had been leaning too far toward Beijing and compromising the sovereignty of Taiwan. Worse, Ma was promoting China as a "wonder drug" for Taiwan's dismal economy, she said.

"By emphasizing the China element and short-term economic benefit, Ma has failed to take note of the sovereignty of Taiwan and the social impact of opening up the Taiwanese market to China," she said.

Tomorrow's rally will begin in four places, the DPP said. Protesters will gather at 2pm in front of National Taiwan University, the Wellcome market on Zhongxiao E Road near Dunhua Road, Wanhua Train Station and the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium. All four routes will converge in front of the Presidential Office.

The DPP plans to stage a 24-hour sit-in demonstration in front of the Presidential Office following the rally to protest the Cabinet's proposed amendment to the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法). The amendment, if passed, would give police the right to prevent a rally or change its route if they deem it a threat to national security, social order or the public interest. The proposal would also give police the authority to break up any rally that blocked traffic.

After tomorrow's rally, the DPP would push to abolish the Assembly and Parade Act, hold a nationwide referendum on the government's proposed economic cooperation framework agreement with China and demand that Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) resign, she said.

Asked how many people would show up at the rally, she said: "We expect somewhere around half a million to join us in the protest."

Another demonstration will be held in Kaohsiung City tomorrow afternoon by a number of pro-〝independence groups.

World United Formosans for Independence chairman Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂), one of the organizers of the Kaohsiung rally, said the demonstration in 〝Kaohsiung City was not intended as a boycott of the DPP, but was meant to complement the rally in Taipei.

Ng said the Kaohsiung rally would be held because it would be difficult to rent enough buses to send all the people in central and southern Taiwan who wanted to demonstrate to the rally in Taipei.

The Central Taiwan Society (台灣中社), Taichung City Medical Professionals Alliance and Taiwan Heart's (台灣心會) Taichung branch jointly booked a train of 13 cars and said the train, to depart for Kaohsiung from the Taichung Railway Station at 9:52am tomorrow, would pick up passengers along the way who are interested in taking part in the Kaohsiung rally.

Meanwhile, in related news, former president Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), said yesterday that he and his family members would not attend the rallies.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING MO YAN-CHIH AND STAFF WRITER
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