PROTECTING THE PUBLIC:The government should not bow down to pressure from the US or Japan in food safety and fishing rights talks, pan-blues said

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 01, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

Pan-blue parties yesterday urged President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to face public opinion and not let food safety become a bargaining chip in international negotiations.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters issued a statement accusing Premier Lin Chuan (林全) of turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the demands of demonstrators gathered outside the Legislative Yuan.

“Lin’s cowardice in facing squarely the voices of the people has left all fellow citizens disappointed and discontented,” the KMT said, vowing to step up its supervision of the Tsai administration.

The KMT added that it would stand alongside the masses in safeguarding public health and the interests of the nation.

The party was referring to the thousands of fishermen and hog farmers who staged a rally outside the legislature yesterday morning calling on the government not to allow imports of US pork products containing the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine and protesting its handling of the Okinotori fishing dispute.     [FULL  STORY]