Premier Yu Shyi-kun lashed out at Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
In an unusually combative mood while stumping for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Tuoh (王拓), Yu said Lien should have conceded defeat gracefully when the Taiwan High Court ruled against his election lawsuit on Thursday.
"Lien missed a good opportunity to concede defeat and offer his congratulations to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) after the court dismissed his petition to have the presidential election result nullified and instead upheld Chen's re-election victory three days ago. This indicates that Lien lacks political wisdom," Yu said.
Instead of conceding defeat, Yu said, Lien mobilized a large crowd of supporters to stage sometimes violent protests in front of the Presidential Office for seven days shortly after the election result was announced.
Lien and Soong then filed two lawsuits demanding the annulment of Chen's re-election and invalidation of the entire election on the claims that the vote was marred by fraud and a shooting that slightly injured Chen a day before the polls.
Society has been disturbed by the defiant posturing of Lien and Soong and hardcore pan-blue supporters over the past seven months, Yu said, adding that Lien and Soong do not trust the government, the Central Election Commission, or the hundreds of thousands of schoolteachers who assisted in handling the vote count.
"The court ruling ended the grueling series of hearings, ballot recounting, debates, consultations and investigations into various contentious points that posed a serious challenge to our society.
However, Lien still refused to concede defeat even after losing the suit. He has so far not made a public apology to election staff and schoolteachers," Yu said. The premier said he believes that history will document the "dark period" in the wake of the presidential election.
"Even if textbooks for elementary schoolchildren may not include Lien-Soong's defiant acts, I'm convinced that political science students at universities will definitely touch on the event and characterize it as the `Lien-Soong rebellion,'" Yu said.
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