Rain dampens enthusiasm for protest

Shih dismissed a pledge Chen made in Tainan Country on Saturday -- to dedicate himself to three tasks during the remainder of his term -- as a "fraud."

"He shouldn't try to deceive the public with something that he cannot deliver," Shih said. "He should have told the people of Taiwan truthfully that it will take tremendous amount of time and effort to join the UN."

Chen pledged in his hometown in Tainan County that in the remaining 20 months of his term, he would work to strengthen the country's bid to joint the UN under the name "Taiwan," promote a new constitution and hold a referendum on the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) stolen assets.

Regarding the KMT's assets, Shih said that he was in favor of the move but wondered why the administration did not act earlier.

"I proposed to President Chen that he could form a task force similar to South Africa's truth reconciliation committee to deal with the KMT's party assets and I told him that I could help if he needed me, but nothing happened," Shih said.

"Now he brings up the issue again. It is to me nothing but a political tool aimed at tricking the public and saving his career," Shih said.

He urged political leaders, including the DPP, to sit down and talk about the country's future in the "post-A-bian era."

He said former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) would be two of the best candidates to take part in such a meeting.

He also dismissed the speculation that the anti-Chen protest was aimed at seizing power, saying the DPP would still be power since Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) would take over if Chen stepped down.

Writer Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) showed up at the protest to give Shih a bouquet of red roses. But Lung ended up distributing the flowers to demonstrators because Shih was taking a rest in his trailer. Lung said she did not contribute to Shih's NT$100 campaign.

Meanwhile, Shih's headquarter agreed late last night to a police proposal to reopen several lanes of Ketagalan Boulevard to regular traffic starting at 10pm last night.

Demonstrators will now only be allowed to use three lanes and the sidewalks on the boulevard, as well as the area in front of the Taipei Guest House.

The police may also remove some of the barricades in front of the Presidential Office if the protests continue as they have, the report said.

Additional reporting by Flora Wang

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