The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said that while it was concerned about the health of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), it had no plans to submit a resolution calling for him to be pardoned.
A number of pro-DPP groups, supported by individual DPP lawmakers, have launched a petition to free Chen, but DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said at a legislative hearing that the party would not touch the amnesty issue for now.
Ker said the idea was legally impractical because only the president has the power to grant Chen amnesty, and a pardon could not be considered before all of his legal cases have first concluded.
Photo: CNA
The former president is serving a combined 17-and-a-half-year prison sentence for corruption during his two terms in office from 2000 to 2008.
He still faces legal proceedings related to alleged irregularities during his second financial reform initiative, in addition to other money laundering and corruption charges.
While questioning Deputy Minister of Justice Chen Shou-huang (陳守煌), Ker said he hoped the issue would no longer be politically manipulated and urged the administration to honor the former president’s judicial rights based on the principle of equity.
Chen Shui-bian recently complained of health problems and received a thorough health checkup outside of prison on March 7. Ker suggested that if he has health problems, he should be transferred to Taichung Prison or to wherever his household is registered.
The justice official rejected the idea, saying that the former president was not eligible for a prison transfer because he still faced cases that were being tried in Taipei.
It would also cost too much to transport Chen Shui-bian from central and southern Taiwan to courts in northern Taipei, the deputy minister added.
Ker visited Chen Shui-bian late yesterday at the prison in Taoyuan County where he is being held, mainly to check on his health.
The top priority was to determine how to deal with the former president’s health problems rather than worrying about a pardon, but Ker said the party would respect the petition launched by pro-DPP groups to free Chen Shui-bian.
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