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Hsieh floats resignation offer

A member of KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu's staff yesterday points to graffiti ``biaozi'' (bitch), written on a banner promoting Hung at her campaign office in Yonghe City, Taipei County. PHOTO: LEE YING, TAIPEI TIMES

Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday that he is willing to step down if former Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) vice chairman Chen Min-hsien (陳敏賢) is convicted of corruption.

"It would be my fault and I'm willing to take responsibility if the court rules that the construction project should be regulated by the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) and if it was a mistake or if the decision to pick China Steel as the system builder was fixed," Hsieh said.

"However, it would have nothing to do with me if the problem turns out to be due to internal problems of shareholders and the bidding process of sub-contractors," he said.

He made the remarks in response to questions filed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lee Chuang-chiao (李全教) and Chi Kuo-tung (紀國棟) yesterday.

They asked Hsieh when he would consider stepping down and called on him to take a lengthy period of leave while prosecutors delve into the case.

"I'm willing to take responsibility if the court rules that the construction project should be regulated by the Government Procurement Act and if it was a mistake or if the decision to pick China Steel as the system builder was fixed."

Frank Hsieh, premier

They also asked why the German firm Siemens put only NT$500 million (US$14.97 million) into the project when it had originally promised to invest NT$1 billion.

Hseih called on the public and public figures to exercise rationality, especially with the Dec. 3 elections drawing near.

He condemned intimidation and pledged to find out who was responsible for vandalizing KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu's (洪秀柱) service center.

"We encourage the public to provide leads and will make the utmost effort to find out who should be held accountable and mete out punishment accordingly," he said.

Hung's service center in Yonghe (永和), Taipei County, was painted with the characters biaozi (bitch, 婊子). The center has also received several obscene or threatening telephone calls.

It is believed that the incidents are linked to clashes between Hung and Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Pasuya Yao (姚文智) on Monday.

Hung called Yao a pizi (ruffian, 痞子) during the review of the GIO's budget for next year. Yao walked out of the meeting to express his personal displeasure.

Standing by her remarks, Hung said yesterday that she hopes the police handle her case as fast as they did with the arrest of Tu Shi-san (杜十三).

Tu, a poet whose real name is Huang Jen-ho (黃人和), made a threatening telephone call in which in threatened to kill all of Hsieh's family. He was arrested less than 24 hours after he made the call.

Hsieh also urged law enforcement officers to continue their investigation of the Thai workers' riot in Kaohsiung in August.

"Law enforcement officers should show their determination to fight all kinds of illegal deals. If they only focus on the biggest issues, it will be difficult to persuade the public that our law enforcement officers are not just investigating specific cases," he said.

The premier said that in the past law enforcement officials have sometimes begun by probing one scandal only to end up investigating a related case.

"This is not good. Once they decide to launch their investigation on a case, they should figure out all the details before they close it," Hsieh said.

Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
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