Houston Community News >> Taiwan Election

3/16/2008 (The Straits Times)-- Campaign frenzy gripped Taiwan yesterday as hundreds of thousands of supporters took part in island wide rallies on 'Super Sunday' - the last weekend before Saturday's presidential polls. From Taipei in the north to Pingtung in the south, the rival political parties left no ground uncovered in an all-out effort to whip up voter enthusiasm.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said about 1.2 million people attended some 200 rallies staged simultaneously across Taiwan.

'Super Sunday' was especially crucial to the DPP because a lower voter turnout could spell trouble for the part's flagbearer Frank Hsieh who is trailing his Kuomintang (KMT) rival Ma Ying-jeou in opinion polls.

The KMT also organised islandwide rallies, albeit on a smaller scale.

Eager to widen their support base, both candidates spent the day in their rival's strongholds.

Mr Hsieh, who greeted the first ray of daylight with supporters in Taitung at 5.30am, spent the rest of yesterday in Taipei and Taichung - traditional strongholds of the KMT.

Mr Hsieh yesterday found fresh ammunition in the Tibet crackdown to attack his rival's stance that Taiwan's political future should be decided by the people of two sides.

'If Taiwan's future is to be decided by people on both sides of the strait, what has happened in Tibet today will be Taiwan's future,' he warned at an afternoon rally in Taipei.

In carefully choreographed moves, DPP supporters turned their caps backwards at 3.14pm - to signify the reversing of the tide against the KMT. The timing signaled opposition to China's anti-secession law passed on March 14, 2005 - which authorizes the use of force to prevent Taiwan from formalizing its independence.

Hoping to deflect criticism of his party's dismal economic record over its past eight years of rule, Mr Hsieh yesterday repeated his attack on Mr Ma's plan to eventually form a common market with China.

Such a plan would allow mainlanders to flood Taiwan, he warned.

Likening Mr Ma's proposal to a Trojan horse, a large statue of a black horse - also a pun on the KMT politician's surname - was erected at the site.

At an evening rally in central Taichung, Mr Hsieh wooed voters by pledging to build a subway line in the city which is known to favor the KMT.

To counter DPP's Trojan horse, the KMT brought in 19 real horses at a rally in Taipei, which was just 500m away from the DPP event.

Mr Ma spent the entire day in southern Tainan where he is expected to face the toughest fight. At a rally in Tainan county, he urged voters to back a candidate who can revive Taiwan's economy.

'On March 22, the people should elect a president who will lead Taiwan forward,' said Mr Ma.

At a finale event, Mr Ma stressed his loyalty to Taiwan to counter Mr Hsieh's accusation that he would pander to Chinese demands.

'I remain a Taiwanese even if I am reduced to ashes,' said the Hong Kong-born politician whose parents were from the mainland.

In a sign of Mr Ma's growing support in the south amid disgruntlement over the sluggish economy, the KMT leader's rally last night in Tainan city was much better attended than that of Mr Hsieh's the day before.

Tainan native Tian Yongping, 35, is one voter who has decided to give Mr Ma a chance. He said: 'These past eight years, the economy has not grown, the work is hard.'

(Contributed by The Straits Times)