Murder Chen if he wins election suit, Lien says

Anyone has the right to murder the president if the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) loses its High Court Lawsuit today, KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) told a meeting to the KMT Central Standing Committee yesterday.

The shocking statement came on the heels of a report to the committee delivered by a by a pan-blue lawyer.

The High Court judges are expected to deliver their verdict on whether the result of the March 20 presidential election should be annulled today.

In his report the lawyer claimed that, whatever the finding of judges, fraud certainly occurred.

After listening to the report, Lien said: "It is no big deal that [President] Chen [Shui-bian] (陳水扁) is able to be Taiwan's president. We will have a lot of presidents as long as Taiwan's democracy continues to develop."

Lien then said: "No one is so great that people cannot touch him. As long as we see anyone who makes frauds or unlawful actions, every one could put this guy to death."

Lien said that he hoped that the judges "do not forget their responsibility and make a right decision on it [the lawsuit]."

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday demanded Lien apologize for his remark, calling it his gravest mis-statement since March 20.

DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) told a news conference that Lien was trying to invite his supporters to defy the final verdict of the lawsuit.

"I'm so sorry to hear Lien make so irrational a statement. Fortunately Lien is simply the KMT Chairman and was not elected as Taiwan's president," Chang said. "On the eve of the verdict, Lien's words only prove that he will never admit the result of the presidential election and simply is unable to get over his defeat."

Chang also pointed out that the DPP has tolerated a succession of similar accusations that the pan-blue camp has made since the election.

Even People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), have both hinted that people could target at the president, he said.

"Yet today Lien's speech just goes too far beyond the limit society could tolerate," Chang said. "They aim to trample upon Taiwan's legal system and incite confrontation in the country so that they can overthrow a head of state elected by a democratic procedure."

Meanwhile, Chang urged both pan-green and pan-blue supporters not to gather in front of the High Court building and to be sure to accept the verdict to be announced this afternoon.