The People First Party (PFP) yesterday filed a libel suit against former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) for allegedly slandering PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
It said Lee's claim that Soong abandoned pan-blue supporters after an April 10 demonstration against President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and returned home to play mahjong was slander.
Lee said in a speech on April 24 that the "defeated candidates of the presidential election who stirred up demonstrators in front of the Presidential Office left their supporters out on the streets and went back home to sleep, or even worse, to play mahjong."
PFP legislative caucus whip Hsieh Chang-chieh (謝章捷) yesterday said Lee had not only made a groundless accusation, but that this also provoked Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Cheng Chen-lung (程振隆) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuo Chien-ming (郭建銘) to smear Soong.
"When Cheng and Kuo made the accusation, they both said they had heard other people talking about it. This is a very good example of how politicians spread rumors," Hsieh said.
Hsieh said the party was filing suits against Lee, Cheng and Kuo and would seek NT$20 million in compensation from Lee, NT$10 million from Cheng and NT$20 million from Kuo.
In addition to the compensation claim, Hsieh said the party would ask the three men to publish notices of apology in four major Chinese-language newspapers.
Cheng said Lee knew that Soong played mahjong on the night of April 10 because one of the people playing with Soong told him so.
"Mahjong is played by a group of people. You don't need people to follow Soong around to find out that he took part," Cheng said, referring to an earlier PFP accusation that Lee had hired people to follow Soong.
Kuo had said that "Soong started playing mahjong at 7pm on April 10 at the home of the boss of a major newspaper."
In response to the PFP's action, Cheng yesterday said Lee regretted that a lawsuit had been launched against him.
Next week, Lee is scheduled to launch his new book, Chiang Ching-kuo and I, which will discuss the late president's role in Taiwan's democratization. Cheng said Lee was grateful that Chiang had promoted him, but also felt regret that Soong, supported in turn by Lee, had returned the favor in this fashion.
TSU Legislator Chen Chien-ming (
"That Soong [allegedly] played mahjong on the night of the pan-blue demonstration was extensively reported in the media. Instead of holding the media responsible, they've pressed charges against Lee," Chen said.
"It only demonstrates their hatred toward him," he said.
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