TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said Taiwanese who skip Saturday’s KMT protest would be accepting that their lives are “worth nothing.”
Speaking on a political commentary program, Chiang accused the central government of failing to uncover the truth more than three weeks after the food safety scandal began. He urged people to wear white and attend the protest, adding that staying home would amount to accepting that Taiwanese lives had no value.
CNA reported the KMT will hold the rally outside the Presidential Office in Taipei on Saturday evening to protest the government’s handling of the cooking oil safety scandal.
Chiang attended a press conference at the legislature on Friday with Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑), and KMT lawmakers. They demanded more information about the case and called on officials to prevent potentially unsafe products from reaching stores.
DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) criticized Chiang’s remarks and compared him to an “angry rooster.” Chuang said central and local governments should work together to protect the public instead of blaming each other.
The KMT has proposed amendments to Taiwan’s food safety law, including a faster warning system between government agencies. The proposal would also strengthen protections for whistleblowers, allow authorities to remove products as a precaution, and raise the maximum fine for serious violations to NT$1 billion.
Chuang said lawmakers should discuss what level of fines would effectively deter violations. He added that the DPP caucus was open to talks but said imposing extremely high fines without careful discussion would not constitute responsible lawmaking.