Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday denied accusations that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) relaxed at a resort a day after a massive earthquake hit Japan, calling the claims fabrications.
The denial comes a day after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers told a press conference that Ma spent Saturday in Greater Taitung and retired to a hot spring hotel.
Following up on a rebuttal made by Presidential Office spokesperson Lo Chih-chiang (羅志強) on Monday saying that Ma had kept in close contact with relevant agencies during his trip and had canceled a subsequent visit to Green Island (綠島), KMT Legislator Lin Yi-shih (林益世) yesterday called the opposition’s claims against Ma “part of a smear [campaign] and a fabrication.”
Speaking about the itinerary, KMT lawmakers said Ma was in Taitung County on official business and had consulted with the National Security Council and the Executive Yuan before he set out at noon.
Information from the Presidential Office showed that Ma was in the county for talks with represetatives from hot springs and other tourism-related sites or businesses.
“Ma had even responded earnestly to the questions DPP lawmaker Lai Kun-cheng (賴坤成) posed during the forum,” said KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑), calling suggestions of a rest “a lie.”
The DPP press conference, citing witnesses including Lai, alleged that Ma had failed to stay on top of Japan’s ongoing crisis, including the possibility of nuclear radiation spreading to Taiwan.
Ma should have immediately convened the National Security Council instead of waiting until Sunday, the DPP lawmakers said.
Contradicting the Presidential Office remarks, they claimed it was only at the suggestion of Lai that Ma canceled his trip to Green Island and returned to Taipei to chair the council meeting.
“The people of Japan are drowning in sea water while Ma was relaxing at hot springs in Taitung,” DPP Legislator Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) said. “The place Ma stayed [on Saturday] was a hot spring hotel — so of course it is natural to assume that Ma relaxed at a hot spring at night.”
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