Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) leaders for the second night yesterday called for a protest against investigations into alleged signature fraud on recall petitions, after Taipei police ordered an investigation into KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and other party members for illegal assembly during a protest the night before.
Last night’s protest was to start in the afternoon, but was postponed to 8pm and moved to the intersection of Boai and Aiguo West roads to avoid contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法), which prohibits demonstrations at prosecutors’ offices and their immediate surroundings.
The call for yesterday’s protest came from Chu, KMT spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu and KMT Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介), who organized the first night’s protest outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
Photo: CNA
Last night, the Taipei District Court was to hold a bail hearing for KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹) and other party members for alleged fraud in recall petitions targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators.
Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) yesterday said that Chu, Yang and Hsieh might face charges of illegal assembly.
A judicial investigation has been initiated into Thursday’s protest, where KMT leaders and supporters tore down barricades and ignored police orders to disperse, Liu said.
The KMT said Thursday’s gathering was a demonstration of the public’s power and an act of resistance against the DPP’s “dictatorship.”
"The DPP can transfer the case if it wants ... because our real crime is to resist authoritarianism and the Lai government, which has brought Taiwan into de facto martial law," it said.
Liu’s attitude shows that the DPP has made up its mind to use various means to prevent people from speaking out, it added.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Lee Ming-hsien (李明賢) said the area near the prosecutors’ office might be restricted, but the party must take action in response to the DPP’s “abuse of the judiciary to suppress political dissent.”
Chu also called on the public to voice their discontent during a rally on Saturday next week at 3pm, in front of the Presidential Office Building.
Meanwhile, DPP Taipei City Councilor Chen Hsien-wei (陳賢蔚) and his lawyer yesterday went to the Control Yuan to request that Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) be impeached for joining Thursday’s protest.
Chiang was a lawyer, but deliberately joined KMT members in breaking the law, Chen said.
“Chiang’s presence pressured police officers, who dared not to enforce the law against Chiang and other KMT politicians,” Chen said. “Chiang abused his authority, setting a bad example for people by disregarding the rule of law.”
DPP Taipei City Councilor Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) said: “Chiang has also contravened the principle of impartiality by choosing a partisan political stance, which would influence the city’s election commission officers, who are tasked with checking the validity of petition signatures.”
Chiang told reporters that he went of his own volition and that he would take personal responsibility.
He also said he went “because the justice system was unfair, and I had to stand up to fight for justice,” and that he had instructed Taipei Police Department officials to enforce the law as usual.
DPP spokesperson Justin Wu (吳崢) said the KMT protest harmed the justice system.
“In Taiwan, we observe the rule of law. Those accused of illegal conduct should follow the proper process for their legal defense and cooperate with the judicial investigation,” Wu said.
It was KMT legislators who pushed an amendment last year to impose more severe punishment on offenders convicted of signature fraud, or “copying from lists and falsifying signatures of deceased people,” but now KMT members are defying their own logic, he said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiao-kuang and CNA
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