People First Party presidential candidate James Soong campaigned in Yunlin and Chiayi on Dec. 20. Both a demonstration calling for the removal of Han Kuo-yu and a rally in support of him are scheduled to be held in Kaohsiung on Dec. 21. Soong expressed concerns over this situation, describing it as trains on the verge of colliding. He said the two other presidential candidates should use their influence to ensure that no major incidents occur so that Taiwan's democracy will not be humiliated.
I'm concerned that two trains will collide tomorrow. Yesterday, an American Institute in Taiwan section chief called on me, and I made a point of mentioning that Taiwan's democracy has always served as a model for all the democratic countries in the world. Blood has never been shed, and our elections have always been very peaceful. I hope there won't be any collisions tomorrow, I hope that elections won't become bloody tomorrow, resulting in humiliation for Taiwan. We need to cherish the value of Taiwan's democracy and freedom, and we really need to cherish the rationality with which our elections are held. Elections depend on communicating with grassroots levels to have everyone resolve the problems they bring to our attention.
Soong campaigned at a sheltered workshop for rehabilitated youths in Yunlin on Dec. 20 and chatted with various organizations. He not only expressed his concerns over the events scheduled to take place on Dec. 21 in Kaohsiung, saying he hopes there won't be violent clashes between Han supporters and opponents, but also criticized the Democratic Progressive Party's efforts to pass an anti-infiltration bill by force. He asked how two million Taiwan businesspersons will be able to prove their innocence once this bill becomes law and warned that people should be careful about things they aren't able to do.