KMT criticizes Chen's televised `chats'

President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) regular televised speeches violate his own party's call for media reform, KMT spokesman Alex Tsai (蔡正元) said yesterday.

"The DPP is pushing for the removal of political and military influences from the media, yet Chen himself regularly appears on the television," Tsai said at a press conference held following the party's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting.

The show, entitled A-bian Portrait (阿扁傳真), made its debut last Saturday. The weekly broadcast features Chen giving a five-minute address on his policies and how he feels about major national affairs.

Inspired by former US president Franklin Roosevelt's "Fireside Chats," Chen said that he hoped the televised talks would improve communication between himself and the public.

"What does Chen think DPP Legislator Trong Chai (蔡同榮) feels about his regular televised talks?" Tsai said, referring to the pressure on Chai from his party to give up his position as chairman of Formosa Television.

"Chen's televised talks run contrary to his party's media reform resolution and highlight an attitude that says `legislators cannot but the president can,'" Tsai said.

Pointing to Chen's probable bid to seek a second term as president, Tsai called the televised speeches "a move that abuses media for his personal publicity."