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Presidential election 2008: 5 days to go: Ma responds to president

"Chen should work on improving Taiwan's economy."

Ma Ying-jeou, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday criticized President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for offering to resign if Ma could present legal documents proving that his US green card had been invalidated.

Ma said Chen would do better to use his remaining time in office to improve the economy and serve the public.

On Friday night, Chen said in an interview with Formosa TV that he would resign immediately if Ma could prove that his green card had been invalidated years ago.

Ma's green card status has been the focus of attacks by Democratic Progressive Party presidential rival Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).

Ma has admitted to having a green card during his time as a student in the US, but said it was automatically invalidated in 1985 when he applied for a visa to travel to the US.

Hsieh maintains that Ma's green card is still valid, arguing that the KMT presidential candidate has not completed an I-407 form to relinquish his permanent residency or had the green card invalidated by a US immigration court.

"I have already provided evidence. It doesn't matter whether [Chen] resigns, because his term will end in two months anyway," Ma said after attending a campaign event in Tainan County.

Last month, Ma's campaign staff showed the media copies of visas from a Republic of China passport issued to Ma 18 years ago. The copies showed that the American Institute in Taiwan issued Ma a non-immigrant visa on June 29, 1990, and on four other occasions before 2006.

Ma took Chen to task for involving the government in scandals such as the now-defunct Taiwan Goal arms firm.

"As an outgoing president, Chen should work on improving Taiwan's economy and ensuring a smooth transition of power," he said.

In Taipei, KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) and Ma campaign spokesman Tsai Shih-ping (蔡詩萍) urged the president to keep his promise to resign.

"Ma's non-immigrant visa is the best evidence to prove that Ma has given up his green card," Hsieh Kuo-liang said at Ma's campaign headquarters. "Since Ma has provided [copies] of his visitor's visa to the media and the Democratic Progressive Party ... we have presented the evidence, so Mr Chen Shui-bian should resign as soon as possible."

Additional reporting by Flora Wang and Staff Writer
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