First melee erupts as presidential race heats up

Kuomintang (KMT) legislators Alex Fai, Chen Chieh, Lo Min-tsai, and colleague Lo Shu-lei entered the building in the company of Finance Minister Ho Chih-chin and First Financial Holding President Huang Hsien-shen in an operation they called "an inspection of a public place" late afternoon.

Fai charged that Taiwan's First Bank, in which the government still holds a major stake, had made the headquarters available to Hsieh at less than the market rate.

Hsieh of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) paid rent for the first three floors, which the party uses as a campaign office, but did not pay for other office space he has been using in the same building, alleged Fai.

If the DPP did not pay the appropriate rent, it would be unfair to taxpayers and the shareholders of the financial institution, he said.

When the group took an elevator to the 13th floor, where Hsieh allegedly maintains a personal office without paying rent, the DPP staff cut off the power supply, trapping them inside.

After intervention from police, they were let out of the lift.

Heated arguments between the two sides ensued, and the lawmakers were besieged by several hundred DPP supporters who prevented them from leaving the area.

A spokesman for the bank said the building had been rented at normal rates.

Hsieh's spokesmen stressed they have paid rent for all the space until the end of March.

Lee Ying-yuan, Hsieh's campaign manager, criticized opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou's campaign aides over the incident by orchestrating the lawmakers' move behind the scenes.

Scuffles followed, and Fai was hit on the head even when police tried to escort the KMT lawmakers out of the area in a police vehicle.

The vehicle's windshield was smashed by Hsieh's supporters, and some of them climbed over the top of the car in the melee.

The car eventually drove away after an hour-long standoff with Hsieh's supporters after the arrival of prosecutors.

Fai was taken to a hospital for injuries he sustained in the chaos.

The melee was the first incident of disorder ahead of the March 22 presidential election between Hsieh and Ma.

Ma, a former justice minister and Taipei mayor, made a public apology for the incident.

He said both sides should take the blame for the chaos and confrontation and expressed the hope that such an incident will be avoided in the future so that voters will have a peaceful and fair election.

Hsieh, a former Kaohsiung mayor and premier, blasted the incident as "the most wicked, dirty trick" pulled by the KMT in history.

He said the illegal intruders would have been beaten to death if the incident had taken place in the United States.

Hsieh urged voters to use their ballots to punish the KMT in the election.



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