Chen hints at altering political system if elected

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (3?糮?/CHINESE>) told a Japanese newspaper that if elected next year he would enact constitutional revisions to transform Taiwan's governmental system into a presidential democracy modeled on a US-style division of powers.

Chen also said he would not rule out the possibility of forming a coalition government with the Kuomintang if elected. However, he vowed that he would not consider joining a coalition government if it were to be led by the KMT.

Chen, the former mayor of Taipei and the leading opposition party's standard-bearer in the island's presidential race slated for March 2000, made the remarks to the Sankei Shimbun in a recent interview.

The mass-circulation daily also reported that Chen's public support has surged noticeably following the eruption last week of a financial scandal which has engulfed independent contender James Soong.

Until the scandal broke, Soong had enjoyed a comfortable lead over both Chen and the KMT's presidential candidate Vice President Lien Chan (3s戰), according to public opinion surveys.

The DPP stalwart said he is confident of winning the election because many eligible voters who are behind him have remained silent, resulting in a relatively lower support rate for him in the polls.

Chen described Soong and Lien as the embodiments of Taiwan's notorious money politics, and said President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) has failed to carry out a series of fundamental reforms in the judicial, administrative and educational systems, although he conceded that Lee has played a major role in Taiwan's democratization.

Chen also stressed that Taiwan-China ties could move in a positive direction if Beijing recognized the fact that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state.