Thu, Jan 16, 2003 page3

• Scandal sullying Hsieh's image

  ROLLERCOASTER Jubilation has turned to damage control for the Kaohsiung mayor after he became implicated in the council speaker vote-buying scandal

  • By Lin Mei-Chun / STAFF REPORTER
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  Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) probably never expected that victory in last month's mayoral election would be followed by a scandal of such proportions that it threatens his political life.

  The newly re-elected mayor had little time to celebrate his success on Dec. 7 last year before facing a barrage of attacks implicating him in the vote-buying scam surrounding the council's speakership election.

  Coming at a time when he was seen as one of the foremost stars of the DPP, along with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), the scandal has driven a wedge between his standing in the party and that of the president.

  "Hsieh is facing the biggest challenge of his political life," said a presidential official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

  "Whereas Chen's public support had been raised by his immediate pledge to crack down on bribery, Hsieh's reputation has been tarnished because he failed to provide clear explanations about the role he played in the speakership election," the official said.

  The scandal erupted after the election of the council speaker on Dec. 25, when prosecutors found evidence that almost 30 councilors on the 44-member council had sold their votes at NT$5 million each to the controversial and already scandal-tainted Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄).

  Although Hsieh never stated a preference for any particular candidate before the election, reports have said that he tacitly endorsed Chu. It is difficult for Hsieh to avoid the fallout from the controversy because his aide, Wang Wen-cheng (王文正), the director of Kaohsiung's Civil Affairs Bureau, has admitted that he lobbied for Chu.

  Wang was detained last week on suspicion of approaching city councilors on Chu's behalf and later delivering bribe payments.

  Also at issue is the NT$2.8 million Hsieh received from Hsu Wen-liang (許文良), the chief of the Yu Huang Temple. Whereas Hsieh claimed the money was a political donation during the mayoral campaign, prosecutors suspect the money was a payment for Hsieh's approval of an illegally constructed part of the temple.

  Hsieh has developed a reputation for being articulate but evasive in the face of disputes.

  Before the election, Hsieh offered ambiguous explanations in response to accusations from opposition lawmakers that he had received a NT$4.5 million check from Zanadau majority shareholder Su Hui-chen (蘇惠珍) in 1994 as part of an influence-peddling scheme.

  Regarding the vote-buying scam and the payment from the temple, Hsieh has been vague about whether he knew Wang was helping Chu and about why he accepted the payment from Hsu.

  "As a lawyer, Hsieh is skillful at analysis from a legal perspective. His explanations may sound plausible under the law. But as a politician, he should answer in accordance with the political responsibility bestowed upon him," the official said.

  Holding a bachelor of law degree from National Taiwan University (NTU) and a master of philosophy diploma from Kyoto University in Japan, the 57-year-old mayor is one of the few DPP leaders with a reputation for being talented, quick-witted and erudite.

  The competitive yet cooperative relationship between Hsieh and Chen is one of the most talked-about relationships within the DPP.

  Chen, who also graduated from NTU's law department, is five years younger than Hsieh. They both began their involvement in politics in the early 1980s when they served as defense lawyers for the political prisoners of the Kaohsiung Incident. Both were elected as Taipei City councilors in 1981.

  The two, along with another tangwai (outside the party, 黨外) city councilor Lin Cheng-chieh (林正杰), were dubbed the "three musketeers of the council" for their ability to score victories over political opponents with sharp questioning.

  In 1992, they were both elected as lawmakers. Two years later, Hsieh decided to withdraw from the second stage of the party's primary in the run-up to the Taipei mayoral election, after narrowly losing to Chen in the first round.

  He served instead as Chen's campaign director, when the latter took the Taipei mayoralty for the DPP. But the rivalry between the two was not over.

  Seeking to boost his popularity nationwide, Hsieh ran in the 1996 presidential election as DPP presidential candidate Peng Ming-min's (彭明敏) running mate.

  Hsieh later chose to develop his own turf in Kaohsiung after his failed presidential bid.

  In 1998, Hsieh was elected as Kaohsiung mayor, outshining Chen, who was defeated in his bid for re-election in Taipei.

  Not to be outdone, Chen went on to become president in March 2000. Two months later, Hsieh once again demonstrated his own strength in the party, winning election as the party's chairman.

  In July last year, Chen succeeded Hsieh to the chairmanship of the party, reducing Hsieh's influence within the party.

  When Hsieh won his re-election bid last month, it was partly thanks to Chen's support.

  Hsieh's standing would seem to have lagged behind Chen's since he conceded the DPP's candidacy in the 1994 Taipei mayoral election. But to the public, the difference between the two has never been as great as it has become following the vote-buying scandal.

  Political observers say that differences in their personalities are the key to this.

  Although Chen is not considered as talented as Hsieh, he is seen as diligent, decisive, modest and willing to learn from the young.

  While Chen selects strong teams to work for him, whatever his post, Hsieh by contrast, though seen as wiser and more knowledgeable, is perceived as overly calculating and distrusting of others.

  "Whether serving as a mayor, or the DPP chairman, Hsieh hasn't made use of his resources to train a team of his own because he fears his subordinates might steal his resources to start a career of their own," said an official who has known Hsieh for a long time.

  "His intelligence and articulateness can sometimes be a drawback because they lead to the impression that he is insincere or dishonest," said the official, who did not want to be named.

  While others think him smart, Hsieh does not think himself smart enough, which perhaps explains why he has sought wisdom from convicted fraudster Sung Chi-li (宋七力) -- a notorious cult leader who claims to have supernatural powers, those who know Hsieh said.

  A few days after the mayoral election last month, Hsieh sparked controversy by reiterating earlier remarks that he believed in Sung, despite his conviction for fraud.

  The officials said that, with one controversy after another, Hsieh's prospects of succeeding Chen have been greatly reduced, and it remains to be seen whether he will emerge from this latest crisis unscathed.
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