TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) said on Saturday Taiwan will never return to martial law after one of his party’s legislators appeared to defend Taiwan’s period of military rule.

Chu told reporters in Changhua that martial law goes against democracy, per CNA. He said all people must firmly support democracy, which is the consensus in Taiwan.

Chu’s comments came after KMT Legislator Sra Kacaw (鄭天財) said “martial law was to protect Taiwan” from the CCP. Sra commented in a Friday debate with lawmakers in response to a DPP legislator who called the KMT the party of martial law.

In addition, Chu took a jab at the DPP for a post it made shortly after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on Tuesday. Some interpreted it as supporting the move, and Chu said the DPP should apologize for the post or risk becoming a global joke.

The KMT ruled Taiwan under martial law between 1949 and 1987, and on the outlying islands into the early 1990s.