Chen opens fire with ads

The DPP launched a personal attack yesterday on the KMT's presidential candidate, Lien Chan (連戰), over Taiwan's public order, saying public safety throughout the country had sunk to its worst level after Lien became premier in 1993.

The DPP launched a series of newspaper advertisements yesterday to point out that by 1997, the year Lien stepped down, crime had risen 44 percent since 1993.

"In the meantime, public order improved in Taipei City under mayor Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁)," said Lo Wen-chia (羅文嘉), the deputy manager of the DPP's presidential campaign.

Lo pointed out that three high-profile violent crimes -- the murder of Taoyuan County Commissioner Liu Pang-yu (劉邦友) and seven others at his home, the rape and murder of prominent DPP feminist Peng Wan-ju (彭婉如) and the kidnap/murder of TV star Pai Ping-ping's (白冰冰) 17-year-old daughter, Pai Hsiao-yen (白曉燕) -- all occurred during Lien's premiership, and that Taiwan's crime rate was the highest among Asia countries.

"Even then-National Police Administration (NPD) director-general Yao Kao-chiao (姚高橋) said at the time that he would never allow his daughter to take a taxi alone at night," he said.

"It proves Lien's premiership was the darkest period for Taiwan's public safety," Lo said.

Lo cited police statistics to point out that there were 140,648 criminal cases in 1993, and that the number had risen to 202,465 in 1997.

Meanwhile, he said, the government only used 5,278 people in criminal investigations, while 1,886 officers were assigned to protect President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Vice President Lien Chan, who served concurrently as premier.

He also pointed to a massive demonstration in the spring of 1997, which drew an estimated 50,000 people, who demanded improved public safety and the premier's resignation.

"But Lien only apologized at a Cabinet meeting on May 4, 1997, then went to play golf two days later ... with plenty of police protection," Lo said.

The newspaper ad suggested Lien had not been sincere in apologizing, stating: "As Lien spent six hours playing a round of golf, nine violent crimes were committed."

Lo said that the numbers reflected police statistics indicating a crime occurred every 2 minutes, 36 seconds and that a violent crime occurred every 38 minutes, 24 seconds in 1997.

The DPP also plans to run ads attacking Lien on other issues such as his property holdings in Taipei, the cost of his daughter's wedding and the source of his family's wealth.

Lien's spokesman, however, said that Chen was the sort of politician who tried to take credit for all achievements, while assigning blame for mistakes to others.

"The crime rate has risen because the police department and other officials have improved their record of arresting drug traffickers," spokesman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said. "The DPP always tries to abuse statistics to mislead voters. Taiwan does not need a candidate like Chen."

Chen Hsueh-shen (陳學聖), another spokesman on Lien's campaign staff, said that two of the three biggest crime cases which Lo cited occurred in Taipei and Kaohsiung Counties, all of which were under DPP rule at the time.