By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday reiterated a demand for the government to void the conditional approval of a deal allowing Want Want China Times Group to acquire the cable TV services owned by China Network Systems.
The party would not support or be involved in a planned protest against media monopoly on Saturday, but called for its supporters and members to participate in the protest as individuals, DPP spokesperson Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said yesterday.
A meeting convened by DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday concluded that a working group, headed by DPP Secretary-General Lin Hsi-yao (林錫耀), would be established to monitor the takeover case, Lin said.
The conditional approval, which came with three suspension clauses and a further 25 additional clauses, of the NT$76 billion (US$2.52 billion) deal was approved during the last week of the last term of the National Communication Commission members, Lin said.
The party found the conditional approval unacceptable and urged the new commission members to void the highly controversial deal, he said.
There had been much discussion about the case before the approval, with academics and civic groups unanimously opposed to the deal, which many said would create a media monopoly and jeopardize freedom of speech in Taiwan, Lin said.
However, not everyone understood the significance and the impact of the deal, Lin said, adding that the DPP plans to highlight the serious issue using every available channel to help people understand the impact of the deal.
A massive protest, organized by Association of Taiwan Journalists and supported by various civic groups, is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Taipei.
The protest calls for the Want Want China Group to withdraw its takeover plan and apologize for its attacks on academics who oppose the deal.