Dismissing opposition claims that he trampled on the Constitution, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) last night invited his political foes to overhaul the Constitution if they thought it to be flawed.
"If the opposition parties think the Constitution is bad, let's amend the Constitution so the appointment of the premier would have to obtain the consent of the legislature, and so that the majority party in the legislature could form the government," he said in a televised address to the nation last night.
Chen said it was the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) who was violating the Constitution, citing the pan-blue camp's refusal to review his Control Yuan nominees.
PHOTO: AFP
Chen's address was a response to the "10 crimes" listed by the opposition as a justification for the motion it had filed in the legislature to recall him, including corruption, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, suppression of the media, incompetent governance and violating the Constitution.
Chen had seven days from the filing of the motion to decide whether to respond.
Yesterday was the last day he could make a formal rebuttal. Instead of issuing a statement directly to the legislature, however, Chen decided to address the nation and respond to the accusations point by point.
Earlier yesterday afternoon, Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (
"The president does not need to dance to the tune of others," he said. "Besides, it is the president's right not to respond with a written rebuttal."
Chen did, however, write to Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Lee said that Chen had written the letter out of respect for the legislative speaker.
"The president is not required by law to respond to the legislature's notice," he said.
Speaking mostly in Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese) during his address, the president rejected criticism that his decision to make the speech was contemptuous of the legislature.
"It is a legitimate practice conforming to the Additional Articles of the Constitution," he said.
He also said he would not be responding to questions from reporters because his speech was meant to be a public address rather than a news conference.
He said he would be happy to talk about the recall proposal with journalists at another time.
On whether he would finish his term, Chen said he would leave that to the Taiwanese people.
"I am willing to sacrifice myself for Taiwan and bear the cross of persecution because I believe in Taiwan, its people, democracy and rule of law," he said.
"I am also willing to sacrifice myself for the country if my `horrible death' could ease the grudges some people hold against me," he said, alluding to an attack on him by the KMT chairman.
But violence does not solve any problem, Chen said, adding he believed the Taiwanese people have the wisdom to overcome the current situation calmly and rationally.
Insisting that he had been consistent in regard to cross-strait policy, Chen said he had never accepted the "one China" policy nor recognized the "1992 consensus" and that his position would not change.
"It is easy to visit China and shake hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) as long as I recognize the `1992 consensus' and accept the `one China' policy, but such a visit is meaningless," he said.
On the inciting of ethnic antagonism, Chen said he had in fact been a victim. If it were not for such antagonism, he said, he would have won re-election as Taipei mayor.
Chen also dismissed the accusation that he had suppressed the media and freedom of speech, declaring that he would rather be harshly criticized by the media than contain media freedom.
Chen rebutted allegations that his wife Wu Shu-jen (
Chen said he and Wu had never been involved in the transfer of management at the department store and did not know anything about his son-in-law Chao Chien-ming's (
Chen said the economic performance of the nation would have been more impressive if there were not so much political strife.
Pan-blue legislators told a press conference after the broadcast that Chen failed to shed light on the scandals.
People First Party caucus whip Lu Hsueh-chang (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Cheng told a press conference at KMT headquarters that Ma would deliver the speech from his office in the building, but would not take questions from the media.
Yesterday morning, KMT policy committee director Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) and around 50 pan-blue legislators led supporters to protest in front of the Presidential Office building over Chen electing not to respond to the legislature.
The protesters chanted that the president's decision not to reply to the legislature implied he knew that he was guilty.
The pan-blue legislators, carrying white banners saying that "the president should respond to the legislature," broke through police lines in front of the building.
A group of Democratic Progressive Party city councilors and candidates for the year-end city councilor elections led pan-green supporters in a demonstration against the pan-blue camp protest.
The two groups yelled at each other for about 10 minutes, but police kept them apart.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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