President Chen Shui-bian (
"It is unlikely that President Chen will show up, because I think he is worried about how the media would interpret his appearance, and whether a misleading description would provoke the demonstrators calling for his resignation," said Chet Yang (楊文嘉), secretary-general of the Taiwan Society, the main organizer of the pro-Chen rally.
Presidential Spokesman David Lee (
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Meanwhile, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun canceled a scheduled visit to Los Angeles to rush back to Taipei from Washington to attend tomorrow's rally, Hsu Ting-hsin (許廷鑫), the chairman of the DPP's Western US chapter, told reporters.
Yang said Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) will not attend the rally, because organizers did not welcome her nor had they extended any invitation.
Both Premier Su Tseng-chang (
Organizers said they hoped to see a turnout of 100,000 people, and Yang said that more than 82,000 people have registered to participate.
Despite concerns about whether the rally might spark a confrontation with anti-Chen protestors, Taiwan Society chairman Wu Shuh-min (吳樹民) said that he did not expect to see it happen, but that it was possible.
"If there is anyone from the other side [the anti-Chen demonstrators] who wants to challenge us, clashes might occur. But I hope both sides would exercise self-restraint," he said. "We will try to be as peaceful as possible. However, as Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has approved the demonstration, the rally will test whether Ma has the ability to handle the situation."
Che Pei-chun (車蓓群), a spokeswoman for the rally -- dubbed "Formosa Sunrise" -- said the event was not aimed at supporting Chen, but at safeguarding the democratic system.
"This is certainly not a campaign to fight against Mr. Shih [Ming-teh, the leader of the anti-Chen demonstration] because we have more important things to do with our lives," she said.
"I have only one thing to say to the anti-Chen protestors: Come on, get a life," Che said.
Soochow University department of political science director Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that the anti-Chen demonstrations had widened the divisions of political ideology, class and ethnicity.
In a bid to counter the sit-in calling for Chen's resignation, the DPP caucus yesterday called on supporters of democracy to attend tomorrow's rally.
DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), convenor of the Friends of A-Bian Association, yesterday issued a mobilization order asking its members to attend tomorrow's rally.
Gao said that his association hoped to mobilize 500 busloads of people, or 20,000, to attend the event.
The DPP caucus yesterday also made public an "I love you" hand gesture to counter the thumb down gesture used by anti-Chen protesters.
DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (
Gao dismissed speculation that Lu, Su and Hsieh all opposed staging the rally, saying that the party showed unprecedented solidarity.
DPP Legislator William Lai (
Meanwhile, a group of KMT legislators yesterday held a press conference, calling on the DPP to either postpone or draw back from a pro-Chen rally scheduled to stage tomorrow.
"The pro-Chen rally [tomorrow] might lead to a violent clash with people who are tiking part in the `siege,'" KMT Legislator Tsai Chin-lung (蔡錦隆), referring to anti-Chen camp's plan to besiege the Presidential and the president's official Yushan Residence tonight.
"Not long ago, the DPP had said that it will discipline its members who mobilize people to counter Shih's anti-Chen sit-in. Did the DPP change its attitudes with the intention to cause uproars?" Tsai asked.
KMT Legislator Lin Hung-chih (
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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