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Protest serves both camps: analysts say

A blue-camp supporter displays his placard to the press as others sent up tents in front of the Presidential Office as they press their demands for an immediate recount of the presidential election ballots. The placard reads, ``An appeal to patriotic youth nationwide to stand up!'' PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

It has been three days since pan-blue protesters started their demonstration in front of the Presidential Office to demand an immediate recount of Saturday's vote.

Free food and drinks were being supplied to the protesters yesterday as more supporters poured in from other cities and towns, encouraged by members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-People First Party (PFP) alliance.

Ting Shou-chung (丁守中), director of the KMT's Organization and Development Affairs Committee, yesterday announced that the pan-blue alliance would stage a march in Taipei this Saturday to emphasize their appeal for an immediate recount.

The mass protest showed no signs of coming to an end any time soon after getting permission from the Taipei City Government to continue yesterday.

Political observers said that timely gestures of goodwill from leaders of both the pan-green and pan-blue camps would be the best solution to resolve the apparent deadlock.

"If leaders from both sides are willing to take one step back in this situation, the protest can be easily resolved," political commentator Fang Li-da (范立達) said.

"Many of the protesters have been there for hours and they are tired, while [KMT Chairman] Lien Chan (連戰) and [PFP Chairman] James Soong (宋楚瑜) can go home and sleep and show up once in a while, whenever they want to," Fang said.

The crowd of protesters started gathering in front of the Presidential Office before dawn on Sunday morning under the lead of Lien, Soong and Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who was also the director-general of the pan-blue alliance's national campaign team.

Lien lost the presidential race to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) by less than 30,000 votes.

Denouncing the election as unfair, he demanded an immediate recount.

Lien also raised questions about the apparent assassination attempt on Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) in Tainan on the eve of the election, as well as the high number of invalid votes.

"Politicians should not be so cold-blooded as to have only their political interests in mind, manipulating the people like pieces in their chess game," Fang said.

At a press conference on Monday night, Lien responded to a question about his plans for the protesters by saying the issue was out of his hands, as it had risen to a constitutional level to become a question of legality and legitimacy of the government.

"It is easy to lead people into the streets, but hard to get them to stop," said Hsieh Chin-ho (謝金河), publisher of the Chinese-language Win-Win Weekly.

Hsieh said politicians probably don't want the protest to come to and end soon, as it serves their own political interests.

The pan-green camp might want the protest to drag on, which would put Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), a senior KMT official, in a difficult position, as well as giving the pan-greens ammunition for an attack on the pan-blue camp in the year-end legislative elections, Hsieh said.

On the other hand, the pan-blue camp might also wish the protest to continue, as the massive crowd would serve their political interests by demonstrating their public support, analysts said.

Hsieh said that leaders of both camps displayed maturity and rationality when they canceled their mass campaign rallies following the attack on Chen and Lu, and "now it is again time for the leaders of both sides to demonstrate their maturity and rationality."

Referring to the pan-blue legislators who have taken turns addressing the protesters gathered at Ketagalan Boulevard from the back of a campaign truck, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator William Lai (賴清德) said: "If Lien were a responsible leader, he would not just lead the people here and then leave them there without any leadership except for a bunch of legislators thinking only of their own political interests."

"The demonstration has seemingly become a campaign stage for these legislators to gain public exposure," Lai said, referring to the year-end legislative elections.
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