VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2014/01 1640835
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130835Z JUN 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0650
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5307
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6521

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002014 
 
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: RECALL OF PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
coverage June 13 on the Legislative Yuan's efforts to recall 
President Chen Shui-bian Tuesday; further investigations into the 
kickback and murder scandal involving Taiwan's purchase of 
Lafayette-class frigates; and investigations into President Chen's 
son-in-law's insider trading scandal and questionable gifts received 
by First Lady Wu Shu-chen.  The pro-unification "United Daily News" 
ran a front-page banner headline that read "First Case in [Taiwan's] 
Constitutional Rule; Recall of President Will Kick off in 
Legislative Yuan Today," and the pro-status quo "China Times" 
front-paged "Decisive Battle over Bian's Recall Scheduled for June 
27."  The "China Times" also ran a banner headline on page two that 
said "To Act on Recall Motion, Bian Decides to Present Written 
Statement of Defense." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" analyzed the reasons why the DPP 
chose to protect and help President Chen, rather than forcing him to 
step down.  An editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language "China Post" supported the motion 
to recall Chen, and a separate "China Post" editorial said a recent 
State Department statement welcoming Chen's reaffirmation of the 
Four Nos pledge provided timely aid to Chen amid the calls to oust 
him.  An editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times," on the other hand, criticized KMT 
Chairman Ma Ying-jeou for a lack of strong leadership.  End 
summary. 
 
A) "Better to Jointly Force [Chen Shui-bian] to Step Down Than to 
Protect and Help [Him] Illicitly" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] 
editorialized (6/13): 
 
"The DPP has started to 'protect and help' Chen Shui-bian in an 
attempt to counterattack the pan-Blue camp's recall motion.  The 
dilemma facing the DPP is:  It will ruin the DPP's future should 
Chen stay on, but the DPP has scruples and thus does not dare to 
leave Bian unshielded. ... 
 
"The DPP was facing three options in the wake of the exposure of the 
scandals surrounding Bian's family members:  They can jointly work 
together to force Bian to step down; they can draw a clear line 
between the party and Bian; or they can protect and help Bian. 
High-ranking DPP officials evidently chose to protect and help Bian 
because:  First, Bian is the common leader and balancer of all DPP 
factions.  Once Bian resigns, the infighting among various DPP 
factions will intensify and may likely lead the DPP to split and 
rot.  Second, Annette Lu will succeed him as  President should Bian 
resign, and Su Tseng-chang will be the first one to step down.  Such 
a development would destroy the mutual dependency and interests of 
all factions.  Third, should the DPP draw a clear line between the 
party and Bian, and if it turns out that Bian does not fall from 
power in the end, the DPP will be surely face retaliation, so no one 
dares to make such a move.  Fourth, the most important matter is 
that the DPP is concerned that it will deal a heavy blow to the 
native ethnic groups and party morale if Bian is forced to step 
down.  Should it really happen, the pro-unification forces [in 
Taiwan] will grow stronger, and the deep-Green fundamentalists will 
alienate themselves from the DPP, a development that will put the 
DPP in an unfavorable position when it starts campaigning for the 
2008 presidential elections.  ..." 
 
B) "The Case for Ousting Chen" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] said in an editorial (6/13): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian should not lose his position because of 
the wrongs of others, according to his premier Su Tseng-chang, 
chairman of the ruling DPP Yu Shyi-kun, and some admirers.  But he 
must be held responsible for making his people's life miserable.  Is 
the president honest and a man of his word?  The answer is obviously 
No for foreign investors in Taiwan and decision-makers in 
Washington.  The Taiwan people's answer is the same emphatic No. ... 
 To demand Chen's early departure from office is not to drive the 
DPP out of power, because the Constitution assures it ruling status 
after Chen's resignation.  Neither is it 'to fire a gun at a man who 
is already shot in the knees,' because the one getting shot at is 
not Chen but Taiwan which has been struggling to stay on its feet 
after being hurt many times by reckless Chen." 
 
C) "Chen Gets Timely U.S. Aid" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] said in a separate editorial (6/13): 
 
"Besieged by rising calls for him to resign, President Chen 
Shui-bian turned to the U.S. for support by refreshing a promise not 
to change Taiwan's status quo.  It has worked so far. ... Addressing 
him as 'president' for the first time in months and specifying 'his 
remaining two years in office,' the statement offered a clear hint 
of U.S. preferences.  Washington has long been displeased with 
Chen's anti-China rhetoric and pursuit of Taiwan independence.  But 
having dealt with this 'unpredictable,' 'troublemaking,' 'envelope 
pusher' for six years, Washington now sees the cornered Taiwan 
leader as a known quantity, in sharp contrast with his designated 
successor Vice President Annette Lu should he be forced out 
prematurely.  Lu is U.S.-trained, clean, assertive and a more 
forceful independence activist than Chen.  ..." 
 
D) "Ma's Lack of Leadership Is Showing" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (6/13): 
 
"The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday decided to place 
discussion of the presidential recall motion at the top of the 
agenda for the extraordinary legislative session that is scheduled 
to commence today.  In the process leading up to this decision, KMT 
Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's performance as the leader of the pan-blue 
camp has been disappointing.  Ma seems so weak, helpless and 
indecisive in the face of pressure from the radical factions both 
within his party and the pan-blue camp.  One cannot help but wonder 
what kind of hope the KMT has of becoming a politically moderate and 
mainstream political party in the days to come. ... 
 
"Ma's leadership faces the threat of being undermined by these 
internal battles.  There is no way he can please everyone.  In an 
effort to consolidate his leadership within not just the KMT but the 
entire pan-blue camp, however, Ma has apparently caved in to the 
pressure from the radical factions.  One cannot help but wonder what 
kind of vision Ma has for the KMT.  If it is his hope to move his 
party toward the center of the political spectrum, he has to learn 
to say no to the hawks - and fast." 
 
KEEGAN