Legislators angry over Chen aide's failure to appear

For the fifth time since becoming secretary-general to the president on Feb. 1, Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) yesterday again refused to attend a committee meeting in the legislature.

Chen's no-show yesterday led angry opposition lawmakers to threaten cutting the Presidential Office's budget for next year.

The secretary-general to the president has yet to appear before lawmakers to answer their questions since taking his post.

Chen has said he refuses to attend legislative sessions because opposition lawmakers are only interested in humiliating him and embarrassing the government of Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

"I don't think that they are really prepared to listen to what I have to say," Chen told reporters last week. "Opposition lawmakers just want me to be there so they can force me and the administration to succumb to the Legislative Yuan."

Chen had been asked to attend yesterday's meeting of the legislature's Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, which oversees the budget for the Presidential Office.

Chen's office told reporters that the secretary-general's schedule for yesterday was full, and that Chen Tse-nan (陳哲男), the deputy secretary-general, was dispatched in his place.

"The secretary-general had no intention to irritate lawmakers," Chen's aide said. "Besides, the committee's agenda was to review the salaries of the president and vice president," the aide said.

According to precedent, it is the deputy secretary-general to the president that speaks on that issue in the legislature.

Earlier this month, Chen refused to attend meetings of the Budget and Final Accounts Committee and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee. The committees wanted to question him over a scandal surrounding national security funds.

Opposition lawmakers were also infuriated yesterday because Chen chose to show up at a monthly speech at the Presidential Office yesterday morning but was absent later at the committee's meeting.

Lawmakers didn't get much accomplished at the meeting, choosing instead to bicker over Chen's absence. Opposition legislators said his behavior would further increase tensions between the opposition alliance and the ruling party.

"Chen has shown no respect whatsoever to the Legislative Yuan," said PFP lawmaker Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠).

KMT lawmaker Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順), the chair of yesterday's meeting, said Chen has repeatedly violated the spirit of the Constitution, which requires government officials to accept calls for interpellation before the Legislative Yuan.

"Chen has again insulted the country's Constitutional system," Huang said.

Chen said in comments to the media earlier this month that he wouldn't go if interpellation sessions are only being used for political advantage. "I am not a tool to be used for political struggles," he said. Chen also said he could only speak on issues as they pertain to the Presidential Office. Previously, lawmakers have asked him to answer questions that he said were better left to other areas of the government.

"The only reason why lawmakers want me there is to force me and the government to give in to the legislative branch," Chen said.