Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and DPP vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday called on supporters to “bring piggy banks home,” as their campaign office is short NT$70 million (US$2.1 million).
Thousands of supporters gathered outside Tsai’s campaign headquarters in Taipei and repeatedly chanted: “Hello, president” as Tsai walked onto a stage, even though the presidential election is still weeks away.
Waving small flags to show their support for Tsai, many supporters also held up piggy banks filled with coins, which they shook to make a noise.
Photo: CNA
Before, during and after the rally, people lined up to donate their piggy banks full of coins to campaign staff, which is the trademark of Tsai’s supporters when making donations.
For every money-filled piggy bank supporters donated, they received a souvenir piggy bank, on which the campaign’s English slogan, “Light up Taiwan 2016,” the words “souvenir of the three pigs campaign” and Tsai’s signature were inscribed.
Tsai told the crowd that the party would cherish all donations made through piggy banks, as each represents an expectation for a better future, as well as the public’s trust of the DPP.
Photo: AFP
“Many have asked how the DPP is different from the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT],” Tsai said. “Well, I will tell you that the DPP exists because of the public’s support. We are clean, we do not run businesses and we do not rely on large donations from corporations. Everything we have comes from the people, making the DPP a genuine democratic party, a party of the people.”
Donations using piggy banks started with a man in Tainan and his three grandchildren, who gave Tsai three piggy banks full of coins at a campaign event during the 2012 presidential election, Tsai said.
At the time, the government questioned the legality of the donation, with the Control Yuan warning that the three children could not legally make political donations, as they were underage. The controversy triggered more piggy bank donations by supporters, with the practice continuing in this campaign.
Chen said that he had also donated a piggy bank to Tsai four years ago, but this time he would not do so.
“My wife said that we are not donating piggy banks this time, because this time, she is donating me. She is donating me to the DPP and to the people of Taiwan,” Chen said. “I am the piggy bank that my family is giving to Taiwan.”
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