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`Weekly Magazine' makes formal apology to Chen

The Presidential Office accepted an apology as well as corrections made by Weekly Magazine over a misleading report which claimed that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had played a role in the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) preparations for next year's presidential election, an official said yesterday.

high expectations

David Lee (李南陽), director of the Presidential Office's department of public affairs, said the office had expectations that the news media would fulfill its responsibility and obligations as the Fourth Estate and contribute to the deepening of the country's democracy.

Lee urged the media to avoid making irresponsible or untrue reports which risk causing civic unrest.

On Friday, the Presidential Office threatened to sue the weekly for libel unless it made a correction within 24 hours to a story appearing in its latest issue, in which Chen was said to have met DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) on July 16.

rumors

The weekly claimed that during the meeting, Chen and Hsieh had reached an agreement which stipulated that if Hsieh were indicted for any irregularities, former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) would replace him as the DPP's candidate for next year's election.

A special investigation task force under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is probing 10 cases of alleged irregularities involving Hsieh while he was mayor of Kaohsiung.

These include suspected corruption in connection with the construction of the Kaohsiung mass rapid transit system as well as a case in which Hsieh was alleged to have used improper methods to solicit political donations.
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