As opposition backers converged for marches yesterday morning, thousands of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters hoisted brooms high in the sky in a symbolic gesture to wipe out "black-gold" politics.
Branding the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) half-century long rule over the country as a "black-gold" regime, the DPP showed large photos of Taiwan's 10 most-wanted fugitives outside its local campaign headquarters across the nation.
To challenge the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance's marches around the country, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu's (呂秀蓮) campaign teams launched the "Grand Green Sweeping" activity to kick a series of events over the weekend.
PHOTO: LOH PEI-DEH, TAIPEI TIMES
Ridiculing the blue camp's decision not to call its marches an "anti-black-gold" campaign, Chen said: "The KMT didn't dare to make `anti-black gold' the theme of the marches. It knows doing so would hurt itself because it has been practicing black-gold politics."
"The blue camp opposes A-bian (
For the "Grand Green Sweeping," every DPP local campaign headquarters recruited 100 people, each holding a broom and standing in front of the photos of the fugitives.
At 10am sharp, the groups lifted up their brooms and started sweeping the fugitives' photos.
The fugitives included former chairman of Tuntex, Chen Yu-hao (
At the DPP national campaign headquarters in Taipei, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
"The DPP believes in Taiwan and the people. It will insist on reform. I believe President Chen and Vice President Lu will continue efforts to wipe out black gold after they are re-elected," Su said.
DPP campaign spokesman Wu Nai-jen (
"In terms of the two events' historical significance, the 228 event is undoubtedly more meaningful than the blue-camp's rally yesterday. The 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally will be the one that leaves its mark in history," Wu said.
Meanwhile, to show their determination to curb bribery in the election, a group of Ilan investigators launched an anti-bribery parade, which attracted thousands of participants.
A small crowd of President Chen backers was seen in the parade. They painted their faces black to imitate Bao Qingtian, a legendary 11th-century judge with a dark face.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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