Braving drizzling rain, nearly 2,000 victims of the 921 earthquake marched across Taipei City yesterday with their appeals ringing out loud and clear to the three major presidential candidates.
"Wish me a home!" "Give me a reason to vote for you!" shouted the crowd that came from the dozens of communities in central Taiwan affected by the disaster.
Campaign staff from all three camps came out to accept petitions from the victims' alliance.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The demonstrators were pressing for more relief measures as well as reminding the candidates that the 921 earthquake had struck only six months ago.
"After six months we are only seeing more empty promises and this proves the incompetence of the government," said Chen Hui-tze (
The alliance made five major demands: the government should work as claim settling agents; they should take up the burden of victims' housing loans; help claim indemnity from building developers; civilian relief should be used solely for reconstruction, not for political reasons; and quake-related judicial cases should be taken to trial immediately.
The crowd first marched to DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian's (
When marchers approached the KMT Lien-Siew camp, the alliance confronted members of Lien's campaign who were also on a march. As the police blocked victims from entering Jenai Road, small verbal clashes broke out between the crowd and the police.
Later, deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (
Chiu Yi (
Chiu also delivered Soong's promise to set up a special committee to address problems caused by the quake.
Responding to marchers' demands, the Cabinet later released a statement saying the government had given out condolences and relief funds of up to NT$30 billion.
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