Teachers and veterans associations leveled criticism at the governing Democratic Progressive Party on Thursday, saying that it had manipulated the revision of the civil servant pension system as an election gambit ahead of Saturday's three-in-one polls. 

The Nation Retirement Teacher Alliance, National Teachers' Association and Veterans Association announced at a press conference on Thursday that they would organize a large-scale protest against the pension system revisions in front of the President Office on the International Human Rights Day, December 10. 

Director-general for the National Retirement Teacher Alliance Chang Mei-ying accused President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of demonizing civil servants, teachers and military personnel in a divisive tactic to win the upcoming election. 

Chang called on the three categories of workers, teachers, military personnel and public servants, as well others who are dissatisfied with the government, to join the sit-in organized by the associations to ask the president not to create enmity between different group of workers, and most importantly, not to blacken the name of teachers, public servants and military personnel. 

Tan Chia-hua, a member of the teachers' alliance, said that some 5,000 people have expressed support for the sit-in protest and that 10,000 to 30,000 will take part in the demonstration. 

Because of a phenomenon under the existing pension system where some retired civil servants, teachers and military personnel collect higher pension payments than the salaries paid to current staff, the Examination Yuan recently decided to revise the pension system and set a cap on civil servant pensions. 

President Chen has criticized the system as "unfair" and said that the money saved under a revised pension scheme could be used to help those in need, "such as workers and farmers." 

Generally, most civil servants, teachers and military personnel are regarded as pan-blue supporters while most farmers and workers are seen as pan-green supporters. 

President of the Veterans Association Yang An-pien said that the government has not only becomes corrupt and rotten, but engages in tactics like using pension reform to divide people and to attempt to increase its votes. 

National Teachers' Association Vice-President Yang Hsiu-pi suggested that the government should have held a public hearing to discuss such a big reform plan and should have negotiated with teachers, civil servants and military personnel, since it is the interests of these people that is at stake. 

However, the Examination Yuan held six meetings to unilaterally decide on the new plan and made its decisions quickly, ahead of the city and county magistrate election, said Yang. 

Yang maintained that the new pension system was devised by the DPP with the intent of influencing the upcoming elections. 

"Our President always becomes a party chairman before every election," she said. 

She further noted that the new plan would take effect in mid-December, though it is now under revision by the Examination Yuan, which, she said, goes to show how it is being fast tracked. 

"No matter how the Examination Yuan revises the new plan, it would never be right because it was wrongly conceived in the beginning," she added. 

The associations are demanding that Chen apologize, that Civil Service Chief Chu Wu-hsien step down, and that the government allow teachers and civil servants to form unions to discuss and negotiate on their affairs with the government. 

The association is also asking the government to establish a national annuity system under which all categories of workers could be comfortable after retirement, and suggested that the military budget should be slashed the money used for more meaningful projects.