Early last month, representatives from the Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Taiwan societies visited former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) -- the spiritual leader of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) -- to invite him to the inauguration of the Taiwan Society on June 18, and to ask about the possibility of him sharing the stage with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Lee did not respond directly, but he condemned Chen's administration for corruption, implying that he was unwilling to stand side by side with Chen. He did not change his mind even when Northern Taiwan Society deputy director Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) begged him to attend the ceremony for the sake of Taiwan. We were all very disappointed.
Are Chen and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) really corrupt beyond repair? After the exposure of alleged scandals by pro-unification media and pro-China politicians, only former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Chen Che-nan (陳哲男) and the president's son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), remain in detention. Former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) was released after 12 hours of questioning. He was not detained, and did not have to put up bail.
As former minister of justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) once said, about 70 percent to 80 percent of prosecutors and investigators are pan-blue-camp supporters. If Ma really were guilty, how could he have walked out of the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office a free man? If the alleged Sogo voucher scandal is true, why has no evidence of first lady Wu Shu-jen's (吳淑珍) "crimes" been found after such a long investigation?
The pro-unification media have strongly questioned Ma Yung-cheng's interference in personnel affairs, as if it were a serious crime. But Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters was the power center during Lee's presidency, and the party's interference in personnel affairs through its business management committee director, Liu Tai-ying (劉泰英), was even worse.
After Chen Shui-bian came to office in 2000, power shifted from KMT headquarters to the Presidential Office. Ma was simply exercising his power as provided by law. Unless he is proven to have offered services in exchanges for bribes, what law has he violated?
After Chen Shui-bian came to power, he said he would roughly halve his monthly salary from NT$822,000 to NT$448,800 (US$25,490 to US$13,900) starting Jan. 1, 2001. That means he will have given up more than NT$33 million over his presidency. Because of this, the accusations of corruption are unconvincing.
As for the first lady, she has a good disposition, and is outspoken and straightforward. But she does not know how to avoid public suspicion.
Our defense of Chen is not a matter of a personality cult. Indeed, although he embodies the Taiwanese people's wish to be their own masters, when he makes mistakes we condemn him severely.
The accusation that Chen only nominally works for localization and is more focused on building a personality cult is ridiculous. Looking at his lifelong contributions to and sacrifices for Taiwan's democratic development, how could anyone call him a fake localization activist? Then there's the accusation against us of promoting Chen's personality cult, which is an unacceptable insult.
If pro-unification media and politicians bring Chen down without evidence of a crime being committed, Taiwanese identity will collapse. The situation would not be saved even if Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) succeeded him and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) became premier. The TSU should think twice before attacking Chen.
Kuo Chang-feng is a member of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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