The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is “pulling tricks” to not mention the nation’s official name, the “Republic of China (ROC).”
The criticm came after the government unveiled the logo for next month’s Double Ten National Day ceremony.
“It is sad to see that like in the previous five National Day celebrations, the ROC is again sidelined,” the KMT said in a statement, accusing the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of playing tricks to implement the DPP’s version of Taiwanese independence.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
The design of a National Day logo without mentioning the ROC was a similar move to introducing a new passport design earlier this year, containing the word “Taiwan” in a larger font than the words “Republic of China,” the KMT said.
The government must explain why it is unwilling to tell the public the name of the country it governs, the KMT said, accusing the Tsai administration of trying to render the name “superfluous.”
The KMT also criticized the National Day Celebration Preparation Committee’s description of the logo.
The description saying that the nation has existed “for over half a century” was confusing because the ROC was established nearly 110 years ago, it said.
The committee calling the logo’s main color “democratic green” was ironic given the DPP’s absolutist tendencies, it said.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) wrote on Facebook that the DPP is “erasing the nation’s memory “ and “poaching the roots of the ROC.”
ROC is the nation’s only formal name, Chiang said, adding that the DPP has instead coined the phrase: “Republic of China, Taiwan.”
However, in every National Day celebration since the DPP came to power in 2016, the Tsai administration has subtly removed any mention of the ROC, he said.
This year, the DPP has become so emboldened that it dares to call it “Taiwan National Day,” he said.
“We must bravely state that our name is the ROC, regardless of our political leanings ... because it is our official name,” Chiang added.
The DPP should remember that it is still “the DPP under the ROC,” he said.
Supporters of the pan-blue camp are “the silent majority,” he said, adding that the KMT must stand up for a fight if it wants to reform itself.
“We demand an immediate correction” of the emblem design, Chiang said. “Otherwise, we will not leave the matter at that.”
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