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Pan-blues continue attack on Shieh for judiciary remarks

Pan-blue lawmakers yesterday continued to attack Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) for his recent remarks echoing President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) view that between 70 percent and 80 percent of members of the judiciary are biased in favor of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

They also expressed dissatisfaction with Judicial Yuan President Weng Yueh-sheng's (翁岳生) reaction to the accusation of partisanship against judicial personnel, saying Wang, as the leader of the judiciary, had failed to defend judicial dignity.

KMT legislative caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) urged Weng to tell Chen, who was a student of Weng's in college, that he is wrong.

KMT legislative caucus whip Tseng Yuan-chuan (曾永權) said Weng was not brave enough. "[Weng] should have protested to the president and demanded an apology from the president on behalf of judicial personnel," Tseng said.

Tseng demanded Shieh step down because "what he had said was to shield a corrupt president and caused damage to the country's judicature."

Tseng said Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) should also step down if what Shieh said reflected Cabinet policy.

Coming to Shieh's defense, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus said he had no need to apologize or step down for calling on judicial personnel to declare their party affiliations.

DPP caucus whip Wang Tuoh (王拓) told a press conference that Shieh made the comment because the government needs to carry out transitional justice, adding that such a request follows the spirit of the Constitution.

"Everyone knows that accomplishing transitional justice is a common goal of the people of the nation. Therefore, the government should carry out transitional justice and incorporate the concept into major national policies," Wang said.

Asking judicial personnel to reveal their party affiliations and urging judges to give up party membership are similar concepts, he said.

Showing the assembled media at the press conference a copy of a proposed amendment to the Law on Judges (法官法) initiated and endorsed by some 90 pan-blue and pan-green legislators, Wang said that the KMT caucus contradicted itself for criticizing Shieh because the pan-blue camp also supports the article that prohibits judges from joining political parties.

When asked for comment, DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) at a separate setting said yesterday that "Judges should transcend political differences. It is best that they do not have party affiliations."

Meanwhile, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun urged judicial personnel who are affiliated with the DPP to declare their party membership.

"The DPP always plays fair. We have nothing to be afraid of. I believe judicial personnel who have DPP membership are impartial," Yu said.
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