The military is considering banning any political use of its reception centers in order to maintain political neutrality -- a measure that has support from both political camps.
"The Ministry of National Defense [MND] recently amended a regulation which stipulates that neither individuals or groups are allowed to hold political activities in the Hero House," a military official said on condition of anonymity, referring to the military reception facility in Taipei.
The official said that the regulation currently applied just to Hero House but will be expanded to other military reception facilities which the ministry owns, including the Armed Forces Club and offices of the Combined Services Forces.
The official said that the new regulation came in the wake of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (
"The meeting was held to build up an image of pan-blue camp solidarity. Such a meeting held in a venue under military ownership offended some high-ranking government officials, who then issued an order to put a check on [such activities]," the official said.
Ministry spokesman Liu Chih-chien (
"It was because there were too many political groups wanting to hold activities in the MND's reception centers, rather than just the Ma-Soong meeting," Liu said, adding that "we simply want to keep these venues simple."
The director of Hero House Chen Cheng-hua (
"During the Lunar New Year period, the PFP and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) both had their gathering parties here. Were they also political activities?" Chen said.
However, legislators across party lines yesterday assented to the new regulation.
Taiwan Solidarity Union legislative caucus whip David Huang (
"If the MND provides its reception centers to pan-blue parties without charge, the regulation to prohibit such matters is necessary. If MND charges pan-blue parties the same price as other people pay, then that's fine," Huang said.
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