VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1916/01 1562228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 052228Z JUN 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0519
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5265
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6485

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - ERIC BARBORIAK 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN CEDING POWERS 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage June 3-5 on KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's last-minute 
decision to show up at a PFP-held demonstration Saturday, calling on 
President Chen Shui-bian to step down; the aftermath of Chen's 
announcement he will relinquish some powers; alleged involvement by 
Chen's son-in-law in the snowballing insider trading scandal; and 
personnel reshuffle of the National Security Council.  The 
pro-status quo "China Times" ran an exclusive interview with Vice 
President Annette Lu on page two June 3; the banner headline said 
"Annette Lu: Su Tseng-chang Is Not the Successor Holding Substantive 
Powers."  The same newspaper also ran a banner headline on page two 
June 4 that read "In Response to Wang Jin-pyng's Call:  To Return to 
Constitutional Rule, Bian Intends to Let Majority Party Form 
Cabinet."  The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest 
daily, ran a news story on page two June 4 that said "National 
Security Council Will Exercise Restraints with Regard to Gray Area 
in the Constitution." 
 
In addition, several papers reported on the U.S. State Department's 
response to a reporter's inquiry June 1 with regard to Chen 
relinquishing some powers; a pro-unification "United Daily News" 
news story was headlined June 3 "Relinquishing Powers?  United 
States Anticipates [Taiwan] Will Clarify [Matter] in Keeping with 
Constitution."  The "Liberty Times" ran a news story on page two 
June 4 quoting Government Information Office Director-General Cheng 
Wen-tsan as saying the State Department's remarks showed that the 
United States has confidence in Taiwan's democratic society. 
 
¶2. Several papers continued to editorialize on Chen's decision to 
relinquish powers.  A "China Times" editorial said Taiwan has paid 
an expensive price for having the president relinquish powers that 
have never really belonged to him.  A "China Times" opinion piece 
said the Bush administration is suspicious of Chen's decision to 
cede powers because Chen can regain control of national defense, 
diplomatic and cross-Strait issues anytime he wants.  A "United 
Daily News" editorial said Chen has demonstrated two major things 
during his rule: namely, that Taiwan independence is not viable and 
that corruption is terrible.  An editorial in the 
limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post" said it is important to protect Taiwan's presidency, 
not Chen.  Editorials in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" and "Taiwan News" both urged Chen to 
stay at his post and solve Taiwan's crisis through the democratic 
system.  End summary. 
 
A) "Questions Triggered by [Chen's] Announcement to 'Relinquish 
Powers'" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/3): 
 
"... The show of [Chen] 'relinquishing powers' has indeed provided 
us with a topic for in-depth contemplation:  that is, what is wrong 
with the current system?  How can it allow a president to 'violate 
the Constitution and abuse powers' for six years without having the 
slightest power to restrain him?  The predicament recently facing 
the opposition parties has proven that the current mechanism by 
which the Legislative Yuan can launch a recall, cast a no-confidence 
vote or impeach [the president] can do nothing to a president who 
has violated the Constitution and abused powers.  The Judicial Yuan 
is practically not functioning any more; plus, given the criminal 
immunity enjoyed by the president, the judicial system can do 
nothing to him, either.  If not for the media's increasingly 
significant coverage of the snowballing scandals involving Chen's 
close aides and family members, which triggered Taiwan people's 
swelling outrage and swelling sense of crisis of DPP members, who 
began to question the president's leadership and prestige, Chen 
would not have decided to 'relinquish his powers' before he is 
'forced to step down.'  The question is:  Is it true that in the 
face of a president who has violated the Constitution and abused 
powers, we cannot force him to release his powers and follow only 
the Constitution after his prestige and integrity are strongly 
questioned?  Isn't it an expensive constitutional price that, after 
having undergone such a painful process, we can only ask the 
president to give up powers that never belonged to him?" 
 
B) "How Does the United States View the Bian-gate Case?" 
 
Professor Edward Chen of Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of 
American Studies opined in the pro-status quo "China Times" 
[circulation: 400,000] (6/3): 
 
"... The Bush administration is suspicious of Chen Shui-bian's 
decision to relinquish powers because, according to the president's 
powers granted by the Constitution, Chen can remove the premier from 
his duties and regain control of defense, diplomatic and 
cross-strait issues any time he wants to.  The first point of 
observation by the United States is thus how the DPP administration 
is going to handle direct transportation across the Taiwan Strait. 
The calls for normalizing direct chartered flights across the Taiwan 
Strait are mounting, and such a move can evidently diminish people's 
rage.  But Washington believes that regular cross-Strait chartered 
flights alone cannot satisfy the needs of American and Taiwan 
businessmen and tourists.  In addition, if concerns for national 
security can be put aside for direct cross-Strait chartered flights, 
there shouldn't be any concern for national security if the ban on 
cross-Strait direct transportation is lifted. 
 
"Also, the Bush administration has deep doubts about Chen's 
political 'Dunkirk' this time.  Given the unstable political 
situation Chen is currently in, Washington certainly does not 
believe he can stir up any more trouble.  But if the opposition 
parties and some forces inside Taiwan that no longer support Chen 
fail to force him to step down during the period of 'Bian-gate' and 
let him get away with it, the Bush administration suspects that Chen 
will very likely throw out a referendum on a new constitution or 
other independence issues, which will help to re-organize support 
for Chen, sow discord between different ethnic groups and cause 
unification/independence conflicts, provoke Beijing and arouse 
tension across the Taiwan Strait. ..." 
 
C) "Chen Shui-bian Has Demonstrated Two Things:  Taiwan Independence 
Is Not Viable, and Black Gold Is Terrible!" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
editorialized (6/5): 
 
"During the past six years under Chen Shui-bian's rule, he has 
demonstrated two major things:  Taiwan independence is not viable 
and 'black gold' is truly terrible! ...  In reality, Chen is the one 
that has dealt a heavy blow to Taiwan independence.  He not only 
suffered severe defeats with regard to a 'referendum,' 'writing a 
new constitution,' and 'scrapping the National Unification Council 
and its guidelines,' but he has made Washington view him, the Taiwan 
independence leader, as totally unreasonable.  Taiwan independence 
was at least a shining bubble in the past, but Chen has personally 
poked and broken it.  Chen, who is well-versed at toying with Taiwan 
independence, has destroyed it himself.  What a historical paradox! 
... 
 
"As for the terrible black gold, Chen's greediness and corruption 
can be found everywhere and anywhere. ...  What we saw now is just 
the tip of the iceberg.  Chen's two major political banners used to 
be to remove black gold and push for Taiwan independence.  But now 
he has become the number one black gold in Taiwan's political 
history, and the terminator of Taiwan independence. ..." 
 
D) "It Is Important to Protect the Office, Not the Person" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] said in an editorial (6/5): 
 
"Over recent days, as scandals involving immediate family members 
and aides to President Chen Shui-bian have snowballed, more 
opposition lawmakers have called for the president's recall or 
impeachment.  Kuomintang Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, the mayor of Taipei 
who is most likely to run for the presidency in 2008, has spoken out 
against attempts to remove President Chen from power.  While Ma's 
views have wrought scorn from many 'pan-blue' lawmakers, we believe 
Ma's view is the correct one for several reasons. ... 
 
"While much has been said about the prospect of showing President 
Chen the door, we believe people on all sides of the argument should 
think less about President Chen himself, and more about the office 
and institution that is the Presidency of the Republic of China. ... 
 At the same time, President Chen should at least try to stop 
inflicting permanent damage on the presidency through his own 
unconstitutional actions." 
 
E) "Chen Should Stay Where He Is" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] wrote in an editorial (6/4): 
 
"In the wake of controversy surrounding the investigation of 
President Chen Shui-bian's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming, the president 
on Wednesday announced he would delegate some powers.  The move is 
an interim arrangement that should be welcomed for the minimal 
disruption it will cause to Taiwanese society.  With less than two 
years left in Chen's second term, and in light of the fact that no 
evidence has been unearthed so far to suggest that the president has 
been involved in any wrongdoing, to insist that the president resign 
or face recall - as suggested by the pan-blue opposition - would 
likely do more harm than good to the name. ... 
 
"The criticisms against President Chen for 'illegitimately' 
releasing his powers are unfair, to say the least.  There is no 
clear delineation of powers between the president and the premier in 
the current Constitution.  The Constitution gives Taiwan a 
government that is neither a pure presidential nor a pure Cabinet 
system.  Precedent has dictated most of the president's powers. 
However, Ma has much to worry about with this shift, because once 
this norm is established, it will have an impact on the division of 
power between the next president and his or per premier." 
 
F) "Democratic System Offers Best Way to Resolve Crisis" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (6/5): 
 
"We strongly urge President Chen Shui-bian and the Democratic 
Progressive Party administration to firmly reject calls by the 
conservative pan-Kuomintang opposition to resign and instead allow 
our judicial and constitutional systems to operate. ...  We also 
urge the KMT and its ally the People First Party to display respect 
for our judicial system and democratic constitutional system and 
refrain from reviving their six-year campaign to drive Chen from 
office by extra-constitutional means. ... 
 
"In sum, we must not allow disappointment in the performance of 
President Chen to be used as fodder for another drive to undermine 
our hard-won democratic constitutional system, judicial independence 
and protection for basic human rights.  Instead, only by relaying on 
our democratic political processes, including the change of 
government through regular elections, and the independent and 
impartial operation of the judiciary will Taiwan be able to pass 
through the latest transitional crisis of our young democracy." 
 
KEEGAN