Taiwan's embattled president snubs resignation demand, says wife innocent
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TAIPEI : Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian, under pressure over scandals implicating his family, rejected opposition demands that he resign and insisted his wife is innocent of any wrongdoing.
"Some people claimed my wife has taken vouchers from a local department store for lobbying favours. This is definitely not true," Chen said in a nationally televised speech.
"The allegations are immoral and must not be used to play up against me," he said.
"I had previously said if my wife had done so (accepted vouchers), then I would resign. The promise remains effective."
First Lady Wu Shu-chen is under investigation for allegedly accepting and selling five million Taiwan dollars (US$156,000) of department store gift certificates in exchange for lobbying favours.
While defending his wife, Chen said he fully respects the law. "It is hard to promise there would not be any corrupt officials in government, but they should be punished according to the law."
Apart from his wife's case, the president's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming was arrested in late May for alleged insider trading involving bank executives, corporate bosses and financial officials.
One of Chen's top aides has also been indicted for corruption.
Opposition legislators from the Kuomintang (KMT) party and People First Party are leading a campaign to force the president out of office.
Parliament last week scheduled a vote for June 27 on whether to hold a national referendum to make him quit two years before his second term expires in 2008.
Chen has decided not to rebut the complaints in the opposition-controlled parliament but to appeal directly to the people.
"I realise 90-95 percent of you have no idea about the 10 major reasons the opposition are using against me. Tonight, I am going to make it clear so you can decide if the reasons make any sense," he said in his speech.
"The opposition claim I have violated the constitution over the past six years. My dear fellow countrymen, have I violated the constitution? I implore you to uphold justice for me," he said.
The independence-leaning Chen was first elected in 2000, ending a half-century of dominance by the KMT which favors friendly ties with Beijing. He was narrowly re-elected to a second and final term in 2004.
Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949 after a long civil war between the communists and nationalist KMT forces. China still considers the island part of its territory and threatens to invade if it formally declares independence.
Political observers said Tuesday's address, spoken largely in the Taiwanese dialect, is apparently aimed at soliciting support from independence-minded islanders to offset the opposition campaign.
They expect Chen to survive the parliamentary vote, but say the issue could provoke months of damaging political turmoil for the island of 23 million people.
Ahead of Tuesday's address, dozens of opposition lawmakers protested against Chen for refusing to address parliament.
Lawmakers outside the presidential office in Taipei shouted: "Contempt for parliament!" Some scuffled with police who tried to stop them from demonstrating. - AFP/de
