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Presidential election 2008: 19 days to go: Ma accuses Frank Hsieh of playing the ethnic card

"Mr Hsieh has started to play the ethnic card. But this is in conflict with his call for coexistence and reconciliation ... [and] shows the inconsistency of his ideas"

Ma Ying-jeou, KMT presidential candidate

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) lashed out yesterday at his Democratic Progressive Party rival Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), saying that Hsieh had contradicted his promotion of "coexistence" by calling Ma a "Mainlander noble."

"As the final stage of the campaign approaches, Mr Hsieh has started to play the ethnic card. But this is in conflict with his call for coexistence and reconciliation," Ma said when approached for comment outside a campaign workshop at KMT headquarters.

"This also shows the inconsistency of his ideas," Ma said.

Hsieh made the remarks during a campaign activity in Taichung on Saturday night.

Hsieh told campaign attendees that "some Mainlander nobles" had been trying to force Taiwan and China to "tie the knot," adding that anyone who pushes policies such as a "one China" market or recognition of Chinese diplomas "is not qualified to be Taiwanese president."

Ma said yesterday he regretted Hsieh's criticism, adding that he has lived in Taiwan for more than 50 years.

He said the KMT has also become localized, as it has participated in many elections.

Meanwhile, Ma alerted workshop participants that the KMT could face a possible "campaign crisis."

"I believe that Taiwanese have high expectation of us. As long as we work hard, we will win everyone's support, but I must emphasize again that we need to be prepared for a crisis," he said.

KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), who also attended the workshop, warned party staffers of possible "dirty tricks" by the DPP.

Wu said the KMT had established several taskforces to study the variety of "dirty tricks" the DPP could employ.
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