The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of engaging in “premeditated murder” amid speculation that the government plans to lift the import ban on foods from five Japanese prefectures via an administrative order next week.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Mao Chia-ching (毛嘉慶) told a news conference in Taipei that the government should abandon all plans to ease restrictions on food products manufactured in five prefectures near the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.
The government held 10 public hearings on the matter from Saturday to Monday, but the proceedings were frequently disrupted by violent clashes between KMT and DPP politicians and supporters, who have since accused each other of causing the clashes.
Mao said that in defying public opinion on the matter, the DPP might have caved in to “Japanese pressure from an unknown source,” adding that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) might have conceded to lifting the ban because of a “clandestine deal.”
Citing a local news report panning the government, Mao said that lifting the ban would be tantamount to “premeditated murder” and urged the DPP administration to refrain from “force feeding” the public cancer-causing food.
Mao said Taiwan has no reason to ease import restrictions when South Korea continues to ban all food imports from nine prefectures near the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.
“Rumor has it that the DPP will act against public opinion and try to forcibly lift the import ban via an administrative order next week. Is this true or not?” Mao said.
“The DPP had not given any thought to taking care of Taiwanese farmers or bolstering the nation’s agriculture, forestry, fisheries and livestock industries, but it has taken upon itself Japan’s responsibility to do so. The DPP has no overall governing strategy and it has lied to its voters,” he added.
Mao said that KMT headquarters plans to lead a group of party lawmakers, city and county councilors, and local chapter conveners to rally in front of the Executive Yuan on Friday to demand an explanation from the government.
Another deputy director of the KMT’s culture and communications committee, Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷), repeated the allegations that the governments of Taiwan and Japan have reached a clandestine deal, saying that the food imports could have been a concession in exchange for something the government wishes to remain secret.
“If there is quid pro quo, the Tsai administration is bad; if there is no quid pro quo, then it is stupid. If there is quid pro quo and the administration thinks it could be hidden, then it is both bad and stupid,” Hung said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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