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Opposition camp plan 2000km run through Taiwan

The pan-blue alliance's presidential campaign headquarters announced yesterday that it was organizing a series of activities to mark Taiwan's Peace Memorial Day on Feb. 28.

The campaign headquarters of the pan-blue presidential ticket of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) made the announcement after the Democratic Progressive Party and pro-independence groups held a successful rehearsal yesterday for a "one-million-people-hand-in-hand" rally on Feb. 28 in support of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) re-election bid.

Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), a spokesman of the Lien-Soong campaign, said they will organize a 2,000km run through the island's 319 cities, townships and villages during a 14-day period.

"For the program, 28 road race aces will form a peace torch team to lead residents in various parts of the island in running part of the total distance in relays," Tseng said, adding that the event is aimed at signifying the pan-blue alliance's determination to create a "more stable, more prosperous Taiwan."

Tseng said a detailed scheduled for the run will be announced later.

Meanwhile, Tseng said, Buddhist rituals will be held in Taipei, Keelung Harbor, Taichung, Chiayi and Kaohsiung simultaneously on Feb. 17 to pray for Taiwan's well-being.

A large "chrysanthemum and love" rally will be held on Feb. 28 in Kaohsiung, with 200,000 people carrying chrysanthemums along the coast to greet those who join the last section of the 2,000km run, Tseng said.

A "love and peace" rally will also be held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall complex in downtown Taipei on the same day.

The Feb. 28 Peace Memorial Day is observed in remembrance of those lost in the unrest and aftermath of the 1947 Kaohsiung Incident, and in hopes of healing the wounds and closing the divisions left by this episode, Tseng said.
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