Shih Hsiu-chuan
Staff Reporters
While it was announced that this year's Double Ten National Day celebrations will go ahead as usual, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has not yet decided whether he will attend the celebrations, as the national security agencies have advised him not to attend outdoor festivities, including the delivery of the National Day address, the Presidential Office said yesterday.
"The President will respect the decision of the National Day preparatory committee," Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said.
"He will also take into consideration the suggestions of the National Security Bureau [NSB]," Lee said in response to the advice given by NSB Director Hsueh Shih-min (薛石民).
NSB Deputy Director Yang Kuo-chiang (楊國強) told the legislature's Organic Laws and Statutes Committee yesterday that Hsueh visited Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who is in charge of organizing the celebrations, at around 8am yesterday and recommended that this year's National Day celebrations be canceled.
If the committee decides to hold the celebrations as scheduled, Yang said, Hsueh told Wang that their suggestion would be that Chen does not attend any activities held outside the Presidential office.
Yang said Hsueh and Wang reached a consensus on the issue.
The National Day celebrations have only been canceled once before -- in 1999 following the devastating Sept. 21 earthquake.
Yang said the bureau did not rule out the chances of unrest occurring on National Day after carefully assessing the available intelligence.
The activities of supporters of the anti-Chen campaign initiated by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (
The lack of sufficient police officers, the president's safety, possible social unrest and the nation's image were among them, Yang said.
Shih's supporters have threatened more action on National Day, while pan-blue legislators invited to the ceremony held at the square in front of the Presidential Office have said that they would wear red shirts to the event to show their support for the anti-Chen campaign.
DPP Legislator Chen Chin-de (陳金德) said if pan-blue lawmakers disliked National Day so much then it should be canceled altogether.
DPP Legislator Wang Shih-cheng (王世堅) threw his support behind the bureau's suggestion, saying that it would be a humiliation to the country's image and President Chen's dignity if the Shih protesters"red army" staged a demonstration near the Presidential Office.
When Wang Shih-cheng asked Yang whether it was possible for China to send people to Taiwan to sabotage the National Day celebrations, Yang replied that they kept track of Chinese nationals working for the Chinese government.
The intelligence they had gathered so far did not indicate that China or the US were involved in the anti-Chen campaign, Yang said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) rejected the bureau's suggestion, accusing Hsueh of abusing his power and meddling in the legislature's affairs.
People First Party legislative caucus whip Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) criticized the bureau for categorizing supporters of the anti-Chen campaign as violent and irrational people and treating them as enemies.
Wang late yesterday confirmed press inquiries that Hsueh had suggested canceling the event, but he rejected the suggestion.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Lin Kuo-ching (
"Pan-blue lawmakers have refused to attend celebrations held by the DPP government over the past six years, but there are already 60 lawmakers registered to attend this year. They plan to dress in red," Lin said, adding that rumors were also circulating that people were planning to carry weapons and gasoline bombs to disturb the festivities.
Lin suggested the DPP mobilize its caucus members on the day to counter the planned demonstration by pan-blue lawmakers, but the caucus disapproved of the idea, with caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (
Nevertheless, Lin said that he and 10 other DPP lawmakers had told the organizing committee that they would be present at the celebrations.
Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) yesterday told lawmakers in the legislature's Home and Nations Committee that the ministry suggested the cancelation because of "inadequate police numbers."
"If the festivities go ahead as usual this year, the ministry will spare no effort in trying to maintain order. We will deploy at least 5,000 police officers on the day. It's my responsibility to maintain public security and ensure the festivities go smoothly," Lee said.
But that idea was also rejected by Wang Jin-pyng.
At a press conference at the Government Information Office yesterday morning to introduce the Double Ten festivities, Wang Jin-pyng said all activities would take place, but that he was not sure whether the president would attend all of them.
"It is our country's birthday. The celebration activities will not be suspended unless there is good reason," Wang Jin-pyng said.
Wang urged the public to put aside their differences.
"A lot of foreign guests and visitors will be in attendance. We want to impress them instead of embarrassing ourselves," Wang Jin-pyng said.
When asked whether Vice President Annette Lu (
Among the day's events will be a main parade at the front of the Presidential Office which will begin at 9:11am and an outdoor party in Kaohsiung City's Glory Dock (
There will also be a fireworks display at the No. 3 Watergate on the Tamsui River in Taipei at 7pm.
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