President Chen Shui-bian's (
"While the president sought to explain his position and tried to undo misunderstandings, his comments have ended up adding fuel to the flames and aggravating the situation," said Chiu Hei-yuan (瞿海源), a sociology professor at National Taiwan University.
Chen has incensed pan-green supporters -- including some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members -- with his about-face on visits to China by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
After returning home last Thursday from a five-day visit to the South Pacific, Chen attempted to do some damage-control and energize pan-green supporters ahead of the National Assembly election on Saturday.
He met with DPP city and county chiefs, legislators and party leaders on Friday night to discuss Lien's and Soong's trips and then gave a three-and-a-half-hour interview with Sanlih Television to outline his position on a range of issues, including upholding Taiwan's national sovereignty and dignity.
In addition, Chen is scheduled to give a two-hour interview tomorrow night with the FTV TV news network.
During the Sanlih TV interview -- which was aired in two parts on Sunday and Monday nights -- Chen said intelligence reports showed that China's Taiwan Affairs Office director Chen Yunlin (
The president also said that Soong had promised him that the PFP would vote in favor of several government-sponsored bills -- including the arms-procurement proposal -- after his return from China.
"[President] Chen's allegations about Soong are a serious matter," Chiu said.
"Even if what he revealed were true, it was unfitting of the president's position for Chen to expose these matters in public," he said.
In his Sanlih TV interview, the president slammed remarks made by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Soong while in China and also lashed out at former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) for criticizing him about not moving faster on Taiwanese independence.
While stating his respect for the former president, Chen Shui-bian said Lee was asking him to do something that even Lee couldn't achieve during his own 12 years as president.
Chen appeared to be criticizing Lee for undercutting his position as head of state.
"While it is fair for President Chen to criticize the TSU [Taiwan Solidarity Union], it is, however, inappropriate and meaningless for him to get emotional about former president Lee in a televised interview," Chiu said.
However, Chen I-shen (
But he said that outsiders need not worry too much about the relations between the president and his predecessor.
Meanwhile, Chiu said he felt it was "inappropriate" for Chen to select a single TV network to air his interview.
"If the president has important things to say, he should hold a news conference and not pick single TV network to air his thoughts," Chiu said.
"Such maneuvering crosses journalistic lines," he said.
" Whoever the aide was that proposed such an idea is not too bright," Chiu said.
"The one problem with [President] Chen is that he does not have insightful aides by his side to correctly assess the situation for him," he said.
Ruan Ming (
"As president, Chen should not talk too much. And when he does talk, it should be on serious issues that carry weight and not just remarks that fawn on one person one day and then criticize him the next," Ruan said.
Some people have speculated that Chen Shui-bian may, in a bid to secure his place in history, relinquish his principles and seek a negotiated peace with China.
Ruan cited the example of former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and Vietnamese Politburo member Le Duc Tho, who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for their efforts to end the Vietnam War, yet whose ceasefire deals did not hold.
"One who seeks a place in history will not find it; and one who seeks a Nobel Peace Prize will end up facing an ironic turnaround," Ruan said.
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