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Party has lost sight of its founding ideals, Shih says

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has lost sight of its founding ideals, former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德) said yesterday.

Shih, who is leading an imminent mass sit-in to oust President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), added that the DPP administration has become nothing more than a "Chen regime."

Shih told a media conference that, over the past six years, Chen had failed to consult the party over policies and personnel appointments, instead falling prey to nepotism and cronyism.

The former DPP chairman said he could not help but laugh when Chen said in Palau on Tuesday that the "anti-corruption" campaign was no more than a struggle for power.

"How can there be a power struggle between me and him?" he asked.

Shih said that his campaign had provided Chen with a good mechanism to bow out, and that he could step down under better conditions if he were to depart right now.

He said he was confident Chen would consider the situation and make the "wise decision" to leave his post, adding that if he insisted on serving out his term, he would face the same fate as former South Korean presidents Roh Tae-woo and Chun Do-huan and their family members, who were pursued by the judicial authorities after their departure.

"Once the sit-in starts on Sept. 9, there will be no going back. If the Taiwanese people have the heart to let me sit alone, I will stay there until May 20, 2008," Shih said, referring to the day when Chen's second term expires.

Shih yesterday also lashed out at former senior presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) and Reverend Kao Chun-ming (高俊明), both of whom have questioned the intentions behind his anti-Chen campaign.

Shih described Koo as an "anti-Taiwanese independence traitor turned pro-Taiwanese independence heavyweight."

Kao, who sheltered Shih 20 years ago when he was being persecuted for his activism, has been reluctant to criticize the government, as he has been serving as the president's senior advisor for the past six years, Shih said.

In response, Kao expressed regret over Shih's remarks yesterday, saying he has never taken a dime from the government during his tenure as presidential advisor.

Additional reporting by Chou Fu-mei
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