More than 200,000 people are expected to take to the streets in the southern port city of Kaohsiung next Saturday to campaign for referendum legislation and the establishment of a new constitution.
The march will be a big boost to the pan-green camp's efforts to pass legislation to pave way for a number of national reforms, such as the creation of a new constitution and changing the country's political system.
The planned march is being organized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), the Alliance for Legislating a Plebiscite Law, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and 24 other private organizations.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"When we started, we hoped to have 150,000 people to join the march. But judging from the enthusiastic registration we received from our supporters, the number of people joining the march will far exceed 200,000," said DPP Legislator Trong Chai (蔡同榮), who is the convener-general of the march.
"We hope that with the massive show of people power, the opposition parties can be prompted to expedite the referendum legislation," Chai said.
DPP Secretary General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said that the people's participation in a referendum is no longer a political dream but a reality that will be exercised in Taiwan soon.
"It is going to be a major milestone for democratic achievements in Taiwan," Chang said.
The massive rally is expected to demonstrate again the solidarity of the pan-green camp, including the DPP, its strategic partner the TSU and other private organizations advocating Taiwan independence.
Leading up to the rally, two torch-relay marathons will be carried out in northern and southern Taiwan.
In the north, former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
In the south, Vice President Annette Lu (
The torch marathons from the north and south are expected to converge in Kaohsiung next Saturay, the day of the march. That event will be the climax of the march, where President Chen Shui-bian (
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