The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is to stage two rallies on Wednesday evening and Thursday against the government’s decision to lift a ban on the importation of US pork with ractopamine residues, as nine executive orders associated with the policy are to be put to a vote at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday.
The rally would be held on Jinan Road (濟南路) in front of the Legislative Yuan’s Chun-hsien Building (群賢樓) in Taipei, the KMT said.
The party has gained approval for road closures and a street use permit around the Legislative Yuan from Wednesday to Friday, said a KMT member, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Photo: Lin Liang-sheng, Taipei Times
KMT caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said that the party would ask its lawmakers to join civic groups for Wednesday’s rally scheduled to begin at 5pm.
“The party invites supporters to join the food safety protest in the evening,” he added.
The party and the caucus plan to mobilize at least 2,000 people, mostly from northern Taiwan, a KMT official said, adding that the event would include performances and feature Taiwanese pork dishes, such as barbecued sausages, four deities soup (四神湯) and meatball soup.
On Thursday, party officials would lead supporters in a parade around the Legislative Yuan once every hour “for the lawmakers inside to hear the public’s voice,” added the KMT official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and other former KMT chairpersons would also be invited to join the rally on Thursday, while a large screen would be set up at the rally venue for supporters to watch the live broadcast of the legislative voting, “so they can understand which lawmakers are supportive or against pork containing ractopamine,” the KMT official said.
Lin and KMT Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday on Facebook posted the 62 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers’ office telephone numbers, encouraging members of the public to call and urge them to vote against lifting the ban on US pork containing ractopamine.
Lin said that he and Cheng made the post to “test the waters,” adding that they might ask all KMT legislators to repost the information if they gain a positive public response.
A lawmaker’s office phone number is public information, so the KMT is not disclosing private information, he added.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that the KMT should think for the better of the nation and stop opposing the policy for the sake of opposition.
If importers are unwilling to import pork containing ractopamine, then it would be difficult to buy such pork in Taiwan, he added.
The KMT’s political actions go against the US, Ker said.
“The whole world is observing,” he said, urging the KMT to “do the right thing.”
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