Taipei Times
Date: Nov 17, 2016
By: Shih Hsiao-kuan and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of engaging in “premeditated murder” amid speculation that the government plans to lift the import ban on foods from five Japanese prefectures via an administrative order next week.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Mao Chia-ching (毛嘉慶) told a news conference in Taipei that the government should abandon all plans to ease restrictions on food products manufactured in five prefectures near the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.

The government held 10 public hearings on the matter from Saturday to Monday, but the proceedings were frequently disrupted by violent clashes between KMT and DPP politicians and supporters, who have since accused each other of causing the clashes.

Mao said that in defying public opinion on the matter, the DPP might have caved in to “Japanese pressure from an unknown source,” adding that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) might have conceded to lifting the ban because of a “clandestine deal.”    [FULL  STORY]