Chen defends publication date of book

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday said that the publication of his new book on Thursday had nothing to do with the Dec. 1 elections and that the book represented an attempt to hold a dialogue with the people.

"My book neither advocates some great political ideal nor divulges any political secret," the president said. "I just want to hold a dialogue with the people and show my responsibility to history."

Addressing a publicity tea party for his book, The Premier Voyage of the Century (世紀首航), Chen explained why he wrote the book after being in power not much longer than a year. He also answered reporters questions about criticisms from opposition politicians, who have described Chen's book as a bid to win votes for the DPP in the elections.

"I have sincerely reviewed the past year of the new government in my book," Chen said, adding that the greatest benefit that the transfer of power had brought to the country was transparency.

"Everything to do with my office, the government, my family and even the military and security agencies, which were previously shrouded in secrecy, are now in the spotlight for review and examination."

Chen, accompanied by first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) and son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), reiterated in his opening speech at the tea party that the experience of the past 500 days proved the necessity for concrete regulations to govern transfers of power.

"My book does not seek to judge any individual person or situation. It just stresses the importance of establishing standard procedures," Chen said. "But some people have made comments before reading it in its entirety."

The Presidential Office has released controversial excerpts from the book to the press in recent days, in which the president describes the difficulties inherent in taking on the job of head of state, calls upon Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) to modify her character and comments about opposition leaders.

Chen even complains in one of the released excerpts that some vital security files were missing from the National Security Council when he took over.

The accusations have drawn fire from Chen's political enemies and generated controversy throughout Taipei's political circles.

But Chen had words of praise for his immediate predecessor.

"Though I make some complaints in my book about the process of the transfer of power," he said, "I have yet to express my appreciation to those officials from the previous government who assisted with the transfer, especially former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝)."

Chen said that the book's release was pushed back from its scheduled launch in June because of the publication of a number of books about Lee, the wedding of Chen's only daughter and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

"Those events caused the delay of the book's launch," Chen said. "It was not designed as a campaign tool."