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Updated Saturday, March 22, 2008 0:00 am TWN, The China Post news staff



	Supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh cheer his arrival at a campaign rally in Taipei last night. The ruling party was hoping to pull off a huge upset in weekend presidential elections.(Reuters) More Photos (2)

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Final rallies held for today’s election

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Both presidential candidates and their supporters held last-minute rallies in major cities around Taiwan yesterday, in a last-ditch effort to encourage voters to head to the polls.

Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spent his day campaigning in Taichung in central Taiwan, Chiayi in the southwest, and Kaohsiung in the south, ending his grueling campaign at a mass rally at an open lot opposite Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) led a motorcade cruise through major cities in Taipei County in the morning and early afternoon before heading for Kaohsiung.

He spent the evening at the giant baseball stadium in Taichung City in a move to consolidate support in central Taiwan.

The KMT rally at the Anti-Corruption Plaza in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei was attended by KMT leaders, including Chairman Wu Po-hsiung and Honorary Chairman Lien Chan.

Hsieh continued pushing the theme “loving Taiwan” and the “China card” by hammering home the message that the opposition does not love Taiwan and pressuring on other issues centered on China.

He also thanked former President Lee Teng-hui and former President Lee Yuan-tseh of the Academia Sinica for their public endorsements of him.

Both Lees strongly backed incumbent President Chen Shui-bian in the two previous presidential races.

Although critics claim Chen turned out to be a disappoint and the past eight years became the most miserable period of times for many people, pointing out the rise in suicides, both Lees said they strongly believe Hsieh will be a different president.

Hsieh told his supporters that only electing him as the new president will prove that Taiwan does not belong to China.

Taiwan will face dangers if his rival, who has been advocating forming a common market with China, is elected, he asserted.

Hsieh stressed that Ma will be unable to resist the influx of Chinese workers invading Taiwan and the low-quality products that will flood the local market.

He charged that many people have been gearing up for the lucrative business of importing Chinese products into Taiwan, especially the agricultural products for windfalls.

Branding Ma as “a person who does not love Taiwan,” Hsieh said people should never place their hopes on Ma because he will get benefits only for a small clique of people by sacrifice the interests of all people in Taiwan.

In order to defuse attacks from Hsieh, Ma emphasized that he has been living and working his whole life in Taiwan and hopes to be buried on the island eventually.

He criticized Hsieh for spreading false messages and “cheating” the people of Taiwan.

Ma said he would never allow “200 million Chinese laborers” into Taiwan as repeatedly mentioned by Hsieh and his campaign aides.

He promised to be a leader pushing for social harmony rather than sowing the seeds of hatred and turning people against other people.

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