Taiwan's scandal-ridden leader Chen Shui-bian is facing growing
pressure to resign.
The People First Party (PFP) yesterday urged more people,
especially youngsters, to take to the streets if Chen does not
quit.
PFP caucus whip Lee Hung-chun cited media surveys as indicating
that nearly 70 percent of Taiwan people wanted Chen to step
down.
"The PFP will stage protests every weekend until Chen quits,"
Lee was quoted as saying.
His statement followed a mass rally organized by the PFP outside
the "presidential office" in Taipei on Saturday to demand Chen,
whose approval rating has sunk to new lows amid a swirl of
corruption scandals, to step down.
More than 10,000 people joined the four-hour event at which both
PFP Chairman James Soong and Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou
demanded Chen's resignation. "Probe graft to the very end," said
placards carried by the demonstrators.
Agitated protesters tossed water balloons at Chen's portrait in
a demonstration of discontent over the authorities' slow response
to scandals embroiling Chen's family and his Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP).
Last week, Chen ceded some of his powers to "premier" Su
Tseng-chang of the DPP in a bid to quell public dissatisfaction
over the scandals, which involve Chen's son-in-law, several members
of his inner circle and allegedly his wife.
Last Thursday, Chen's son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming, was detained
on suspicion of insider trading of shares in a government-owned
property company. Earlier Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen, was accused of
other financial wrongdoings.
If Chen failed to respond to public demands the PFP had to call
for his removal, Soong told the crowd. He added that if Chen's DPP
remained deaf to the calls it must take responsibility for covering
up for him. Chen had to step down before the full extent of the
scandals could be revealed, Taiwan media quoted Soong as
saying.
Ma appeared at the assembly unexpectedly after the first plenary
meeting of the 17th KMT convention and said that party members had
reached a consensus that they would ask Chen to step down through
whichever method would prove most efficient.
Ma told protesters that Chen had claimed he would "clarify
himself," "conduct reformation" and "cede powers" but remained
silent on whether he and his family were involved in the
scandals.
His silence indicated that he had no remorse for what he had
done, which was unacceptable to the public, Ma was quoted as
saying.
The KMT leader said he supported the idea of asking Chen to step
down, either through a direct motion to recall the "president" or a
"cabinet" resignation.
"The people have lost faith and trust" in Chen, Ma said. "Only
by (Chen's) stepping down can the truth behind the scandals be
revealed."
Ma said Chen's decision to relinquish party responsibilities and
let "cabinet" members make their own policy choices was a ploy to
divert the public's attention from his family's "involvement in the
scandals."
Chen's chief of staff yesterday rejected the calls for his
ousting, saying he had done nothing wrong.
(China Daily June 5, 2006)