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Lawmakers debate whether ROC flag is like a used condom

An opposition lawmaker sparked a heated debate in the legislature yesterday, saying that supporters of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) treated the country's red and blue flag like it was toilet paper or a used condom.

Chinese Nationalist Party legislator Chang Yi-wen (江綺雯) noted in an impassioned speech in Parliament that many of Chen's supporters were given mini flags to wave during Thursday's presidential inauguration ceremony.

After the event, many of the flags were thrown on the ground. Chang said this reflected the president's disrespect for the flag. Some in the president's Democratic Progressive Party have supported adopting a new flag.

"He treats the flag like toilet paper," she said. "Once he uses it, he throws it away."

Referring to Chen by his nickname, the lawmaker added, "Yesterday, I went back to the south and people told me that President Abian treats the flag like a condom. After he uses it, he just tosses it away."

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Lee Ming-hsien (李明憲) took over the podium and accused Chang of disrespecting the flag by using a crude metaphor to describe it.

"Why would such a beautiful women say such unpleasant things?" Lee said.

"How could you use a condom as a metaphor for the national flag?" he asked. "Is this appropriate? Is this respecting the flag?"

Lee said that during violent street protests after the March 20 presidential election, some opposition supporters disrespected the flag by using flag poles to clobber police who were trying to control the crowd.

Another ruling party lawmaker, Lin Chung-mo (林重謨), approved of Chang's metaphor because he said that condoms were important things that protected people from life-threatening diseases.

"Using a condom as a metaphor for the flag sounds good to me," said Lin, who has a reputation for outrageous comments. "Condoms are really useful."
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