Several groups protest against Taiwan's president

Several groups in Taiwan organized rallies and marches in Taipei on Sunday to express their discontent with Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou and the local authorities. The protests, staged separately on the Ketagalan Boulevard near Ma's office as well as outside Ma's residence and the Sun Yat-sen memorial hall in Taipei, lasted from morning to late Sunday night with protesters complaining about judicial problems, partisanship and ineffective administration in Taiwan, according to (Xinhua) news agency. Garfie Li, a spokeswoman with the Taiwan leader's office, said the public's rights will be respected and their reasonable appeals will be transferred to relevant authorities to handle. The Kuomintang had scheduled to convene its 19th plenary congress on Sunday, but delayed the meeting prior to the protests out of security considerations.