By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative candidate yesterday accused his opponent of a “classless act” for taking advantage of the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) to prevent him from organizing events in front of his campaign headquarters.
Lin Yu-chang (林右昌), the DPP legislative candidate for Keelung, told a press conference that Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had applied and obtained the right to assemble at a block on Jenyi Road in Keelung where Lin’s campaign headquarters are located from yesterday through Dec. 31.
“This means I will not be able to organize campaign events in front of my headquarters before Jan. 1. This is the most ridiculous strategy in the history of Taiwanese elections,” Lin said.
Lin said he had never before met a candidate who was so “provocative and pathetic” as to apply and organize events in front of their rival’s campaign headquarters and that he did not realize Hsieh had obtained the right until his campaign staffers came back empty-handed from the registration office.
“Is it necessary to resort to acts like this to benefit your own campaign?” Lin asked.
“Hsieh even rented two parking spaces right across the street from my headquarters. I have no idea what those spaces are for,” said Chen Chung-kuang (陳重光), Lin’s campaign manager.
Hsieh, an incumbent two-term legislator, said the application was legal and that it was a “retaliation” for the DPP’s objection in the legislature on the budget to establish a sports center, but added that he has no plans to organize any events in the area.