Pan-blues slam resignation of president's aides

Some pan-blue legislators yesterday dismissed the resignation of two of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) closest aides as merely a move to protect the president, who is facing calls to resign amid a string of allegations about corruption involving government officials and the first family.

Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) and senior adviser to the National Security Council Lin Chin-chang (林錦昌) resigned last night following the president's curtailment of his responsibilities.

"The president approved their resignations because he wanted to protect himself," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) said.

The resignation of Ma, who has also been sucked into the corruption allegations, could help the first family distance itself from the scandals, Pan said.

"[Ma's and Lin's] resignation and the president's curtailment of his powers are aimed at pacifying Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] members ... by sharing the president's power among them," Pan said.

Meanwhile, members of the DPP's New Tide faction, the best-organized and largest faction in the party, yesterday demanded that National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) resign as well.

DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui (林濁水) and former legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), who doubles as the faction's leader, said yesterday that Chiou should know when to leave.