Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang has denounced a government plan to remove the name of the late President Chiang Kai-shek from a memorial gate. It says the move is aimed at downplaying his legacy.

Taiwan¡¯s government is planning to replace an inscription referring to Chiang Kai-shek with a plaque of "Liberty Square" at a memorial gate. Chiang Kai-shek led the Kuomintang to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong¡¯s Communists. Chiang ruled Taiwan under martial law until his death in 1975. His legacy has remained divisive, with many in Taiwan regarding him as a dictator.

In August this year, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party government cancelled two public holidays honoring Chiang, saying it was inappropriate to honor a dictator. It also has removed Chiang¡¯s statues from military sites and dropped his name from Taipei¡¯s international airport.

On Wednesday the opposition Kuomintang¡¯s presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou condemned the government¡¯s move as an arbitrary decree. He also said the current administration is guilty of behaving like a dictatorship. It is expected that the government will start to remove the inscription on Thursday.