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
also see stories:
Soong to `quit politics' if Chen ousted
Majority do not support recall bid: poll
Editorial: When silence is not golden
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from