Legislator who quit DPP tells Chen to follow his lead

Independent Legislator Lin Wuei-chou (林為洲) yesterday urged President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to withdraw from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and give up the presidency. But DPP lawmakers disagreed, and asked him to mind his own business.

Lin, who quit the DPP at the end of March, saying he was disappointed in the DPP's performance, yesterday held a news conference at the Legislative Yuan to urge the president to follow in his footsteps.

Lin said that Chen should model himself on former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung and withdraw from the DPP to take responsibility for a suspected insider trading case allegedly involving his son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), as well as other corruption cases.

In 2002, Kim quit the ruling Millennium Democratic Party to apologize for cases of bribery involving his two sons and trusted subordinates.

Kim publicly apologized to the South Korean people five times.

"President Chen should stay neutral on political parties' affairs, give up his presidential authority and carry out the system that operates a constitutional government," Lin said. "Only by doing so could Chen bring benefit and serve the interests of all the people of Taiwan."

Lin added that he was worried that if the first family was unable to handle this crisis, some of Chen's family members would commit suicide, just as the poet and respected bureaucrat Chu Yuan (屈原) did in 290BC.

Yesterday, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Duanwu, which is the Dragon Boat Festival, is held to commemorate Chu's death.

DPP legislative caucus whip Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said that she respected Lin's freedom of speech but she would not comment on his remarks.

DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) had a stronger reaction to Lin's comments, saying a quitter was not qualified to comment on the DPP's affairs.

"Now that Lin has left the DPP, it is inappropriate for him to intervene in the DPP's business," Cheng said. "I also urge Lin to play his role well. He is a legislator and not a political critic."