TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Taipei’s main Confucian temple courted accusations of excessive favoritism with a plan to let President Ma Ying-jeou enter its main gate in a ceremony to commemorate 25 centuries of Confucianism. The ceremony was to have taken place on Sunday, Teachers’ Day, but was postponed until October 5 because of typhoon Jangmi. September 28 marked the 2,558th anniversary of the Confucius’ birth.
Critics said plans by the Taipei City Government, the organizer of the event, to have Ma enter through the main gate sounded like it was trying to build a personality cult around the president, treating him like an emperor.
One member of the temple management committee, Liao Wu-chih, reportedly said it was unsuitable for an elected president to pass through the gate, but the majority on the committee overruled him.
The Presidential Office countered the criticism, saying Ma was the first-ever president to attend the ceremony, so there was no precedent for a head of state not entering the temple through the main gate.
The president would follow the rules set up by the city government, presidential spokesman Wang Yu-chi told reporters.
If Ma enters by a side gate, he might be accused of belittling his own position, Wang said, referring to opposition allegations that the president was not forceful enough in defending Taiwan’s sovereignty against rival China.
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