Mon, Dec 30, 2002 page3

• Brash DPP legislator not afraid to speak his mind

  FEISTY Lin Chung-mo has been in politics for only seven years, but has made his mark by suggesting Sisy Chen was a whore and by throwing temper tantrums during meetings with legislative colleagues

  • By Crystal Hsu / STAFF REPORTER
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  DPP Legislator Lin Chung-mo (林重謨), who dubs himself a staunch defender of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), has shown a penchant for controversy during his seven-year political career.

  Feisty and fond of offensive speeches, he has repeatedly been ranked as one of the most frowned-upon legislators by civic watchdogs.

  

  DPP Legislator Lin Chung-mo talks to police in this file photo.

  TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO

  Recently, he was nearly kicked out of a meeting of the legislature's Finance Committee for throwing his paper cup and documents at the committee's chairman, Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) of the KMT.

  The two-term DPP lawmaker said he was protesting what he called Lee's failure to remain neutral when KMT Legislator Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) insulted him.

  Lin had traded barbs with Yang over a Cabinet proposal to reinstate income taxes on military personnel and school teachers.

  "Let's see who would dare lay their hands on me," Lin shouted when Lee called security guards. "Yang has no right to distort my intentions in the first place."

  Not until other colleagues intervened and the security guards left did he calm down.

  The episode was most recent of many angry scenes involving Lin, 55, who took part in street protests at the start of the 1990s to press for direct elections and other issues promoted by the DPP.

  Lin, who entered politics in 1996 by winning a seat in the National Assembly, has made many enemies.

  Last year, PFP Legislator Chin Huei-chu (秦慧珠) sought unsuccessfully for the Discipline Committee to censure Lin after he likened independent colleague Sisy Chen (陳文茜) to a prostitute.

  "Using the media under her control, Chen has unfairly criticized the DPP administration," Lin said. "But it sounds like a prostitute commenting on the sex industry. I hope she will show restraint or the legislature is doomed."

  The outburst sparked an instant uproar. Two days later Lin apologized to the nation but insisted that Chen had deserved the criticism.

  Last month when farmers and fishermen took to street in Taipei to protest reform of grassroots credit units, he tried to express his sympathy to them but was booed off the stage.

  "It is not uncommon for people to disagree over public policies," he said afterward.

  Like many other DPP politicians, Lin has thrown himself at various social movements, inspired by the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979 when a pro-democratization rally ended in mass arrests.

  Over the years, he took part in all major demonstrations promoting freedom of speech, direct elections of the legislature and president, education reform and Taiwan independence.

  "Growing up in a poor fishing village in Changhua County, I have longed to help economically disadvantaged groups," he said.

  To that end, Lin joined the race for Taipei City council in 1994 but narrowly failed to get elected. He blamed his setback on what he said was dishonest vote counts by the then-KMT government and mounted a vehement protest outside the party's municipal chapter.

  Two years later, Lin won a seat in the National Assembly when all the DPP's other nominees in Taipei's southern district failed. He ascribed his refined campaign skills to his time working as a legislative aide for Chen Shui-bian.

  Outspoken and enthusiastic, he was elected as the party's caucus whip in the assembly. Former National Assembly speaker Fredrick Chien (錢復) once praised him as an effective negotiator.

  "In stark contrast to what I expected, Lin demonstrated remarkable tact in cross-party talks," Chien said. "He was neither contentious nor irrational as I had previously thought."

  Unsatisfied with his achievements, Lin decided to run in the 1998 legislative elections. He drew media attention by challenging then KMT candidate Chin Huei-chu to sign an anti-adultery oath when Chin was allegedly involved in an extramarital affair.

  The tactic helped Lin amass just enough votes to enter the legislature, thanks mainly to the backing of blue-collar workers and street venders.

  Lin's violence-prone personality has made him a gadfly even within his own party.

  Last year, he raised his hand in a gesture to punch fellow legislative candidate Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) at a campaign rally after Luo asked supporters to spread their votes between Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and himself. Lin had counted on Luo, a front-runner by all accounts, to help lift his re-election campaign.

  The incident prompted President Chen to plead for unity the following day and promise he would cast his vote for Lin in line with the party's vote-allotment scheme.

  "It's really kind of the president to help me this way," Lin said. "That is why I often say he is like a brother to me."

  Lin has also taken his brash image abroad with him.

  Several years ago, he astounded Japanese airport officials by stripping to protest what he called their unreasonable searches of his luggage.

  "Irritated and tired, I decided to offer them a thorough view of my body as well as my belongings," he said.
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