Residents in southern Taiwan protest against ruling party

TAINAN -- About 2,000 residents in southern Taiwan took to the streets on Thursday, protesting against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s poor governance and damaging influence on cross-Strait relations.

The crowd was dotted with banners that read: "poor governance, sluggish economy," and marched around the city hall building in the southern city of Tainan.

Protesters were also frustrated by the DPP-ruled Tainan government's decision to raise land and property taxation, increasing the financial burden of local residents.

Liu Kuan-hsiung, chief of Taiwan Community Development Association, said that based on the 1992 Consensus, cross-Strait relations have robustly developed over the past eight years.

However, the DPP has shown poor governance since it came to power in May with many sectors of the economy suffering setbacks, and cross-Strait relations substantially cooling.

People's lives have suffered as as result, Liu said.

He called on people across the Taiwan Strait to stand united, protect the valuable blood relationship and keep a clear mind of the DPP's manipulation of power, inability to govern and wangling of votes.