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Chen calls on Ma to step down over economic ills

“[Ma] talks about the ‘6-3-3’ economic goal, but cannot even keep the economic growth rate at 4 percent this year.”

— Chen Shui-bian, former president

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday lambasted President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), saying he should step down if he could not immediately improve the economy.

Chen, who is embroiled in a money-laundering scandal, told supporters in Taipei County’s Sanchong City (三重) that he was touched to see so many people turn up and that he felt their passion was stronger than that of his supporters in the south. Sanchong is the first northern stop of his tour.

Chen said he realized they came because they loved this land and the country, not because he was important.

“Taiwan cannot fall,” he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Chen said that after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) won the legislative election in January, “Mr Ma” and “Regional Warden Ma” had asked the electorate to help him win the presidential election so the KMT could return to power.

“Now the KMT has its wish and it says it will be fully responsible, but do you see the party being fully responsible? Over the past four months, we’ve seen KMT not only fully shun its responsibility, but also blame it on A-bian,” he said, referring to himself by his nickname.

Chen said Ma, who had promised that “things would improve right after he took office,” should step down if he could not make the country a better place right away.

Chen said that Ma had failed to deliver on his promise and was now accusing him and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of leaving behind a mess for the KMT to clean up.

Chen told supporters that during his presidency the economic growth rate was 5.7 percent last year, with the third and fourth quarters exceeding 6 percent.

GDP growth in the first quarter of this year was a high at 6.25 percent, he said.

“Does it make sense [for Ma] to blame his incompetence on A-bian and the DPP government?” Chen asked.

“He talks about the ‘6-3-3’ economic goal, but cannot even keep the economic growth rate at 4 percent this year, not to mention keep his promise on the unemployment rate,” Chen said.

The “6-3-3” economic policy refers to Ma’s campaign promise of an annual economic growth rate of 6 percent, an annual per capital income of US$30,000 and an unemployment rate of less than 3 percent per year.
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