VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2127/01 1720859
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210859Z JUN 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0787
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5338
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6545

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002127 
 
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:  President Chen Shui-bian's two-hour televised "report 
to the people" Tuesday evening was the front-page headline story of 
all major Chinese-language Taiwan dailies June 21.  All papers also 
devoted their first few pages to detailing Chen's refutations of the 
accusations that led to the recall motion by the pan-Blue alliance. 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, 
front-paged "Bian Refutes Each of Ten Major Reasons for Recall," and 
ran a banner headline on page two that said "Someone Wants to Pull 
the Trigger ...  Bian:  I Am Willing to Sacrifice for Taiwan." 
Several papers also reported that the Taiwan stock market took a 
dive Tuesday of 219 points, due to local political confrontation. 
 
¶2. Almost all newspapers editorialized on Chen's speech Tuesday 
evening.  A "Liberty Times" editorial criticized the pan-Blue 
leadership for seeking to usurp power at the expense of pan-Blue 
legislators.  Editorials in the limited-circulation, 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" and "Taiwan News" 
both appealed to the judiciary to uncover the truth regarding the 
corruption scandals.  An editorial in the mass-circulation "Apple 
Daily," however, pointed out two major flaws of Chen's self-defense. 
 An editorial in the pro-status quo "China Times" said that during 
Chen's two-hour speech, people only heard him argue his points and 
deny accusations against him in a clever and sophisticated way, but 
they didn't hear him reflect on or review his behavior.  An 
editorial in the pro-unification "United Daily News" called Chen's 
speech a political monologue that deceived himself and others.  An 
editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" said Chen's speech failed to defuse 
his crisis.  End summary. 
 
A) "Ma and Soong Usurp Power at Expense of Pan-Blue Legislators" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (6/21): 
 
"... The pan-Blue leaders are free to act at their own discretion 
and accuse [President Chen] in an attempt to use the recall or 
no-confidence motions to cover up their aggressive usurpation of 
power.  But still, the whole process must be carried out carefully 
in accordance with the Constitution.  Judged from this perspective, 
it is very easy to tell that even though the so-called recall or 
no-confidence motion may possibly be part of the pan-Blue leaders' 
scheme to usurp power, it will not only result in political 
upheavals unwelcome to the public but will also sacrifice those 
pan-Blue legislators who serve as foot soldiers.  This is an issue 
that these legislators must face seriously before they start acting 
belligerently in the Legislative Yuan." 
 
B) "While Silence Is Not Gold" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] editorialized (6/21): 
 
"The pan-blue camp's motion to recall President Chen Shui-bian will 
be put to a vote next Tuesday.  This campaign is unprecedented in 
the history of Taiwan.  The pan-blue camp continues to hold public 
hearings on the presidential recall in the legislature, while Chen 
continues to resist calls to respond to the legislature, including 
in a national address on television last night.  The forces for and 
against the recall are moving in two parallel lines, finding no 
common ground nor resolution to the conflict. ...  But Chen's 
refusal to clarify in detail the widely debated allegations of the 
first family's involvement in corruption scandals is less than what 
the public expected from the president.  Those allegations are the 
focus of the pan-blue camp's attacks, as well as media interest and 
public concern.  They involve the first family, and apart from Chen 
himself, no one else can clear up these allegations. 
 
"If Chen remains quiet, the pan-blue camp and media will continue 
their reckless and uninhibited muckraking, and the asymmetric 
information and allegations against the first family will continue 
to flow freely, while the truth will remain lost in the political 
labyrinth of hard-to-define truths and untruths.  Chen's report to 
the public may have helped consolidate core supporters against the 
recall motion, but it will not do much to restore public confidence 
in the president.  The bribery and corruption cases are now under 
official investigation.  But with the legislative vote scheduled for 
next week, the judiciary's findings will come too late.  Since there 
is not enough time to unearth the truth, both the DPP and the 
opposition will have to rely on political means such as their 
legislative clout or launch demonstrations in support of or against 
Chen.  Politicians do not treat the truth with respect, nor is their 
ability to review their own actions improving.  And that is the real 
threat to Taiwan's democracy." 
 
C) "All Must Respect Judicial Independence" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] noted in an editorial (6/21): 
 
"The current controversy over the allegations of scandal and 
corruption in the extended first family or close aides of President 
Chen Shui-bian and the recall drive launched by the conservative 
'pan-blue' opposition camp has offered an excellent chance for our 
citizens to observe the degree of genuine respect of our leading 
politicians and political parties for the core values of democratic 
constitutional politics, judicial independence and human rights. ... 
 On the one hand, the outbreak of this set of scandals is certainly 
shocking and damaging to the reputation of the president and the 
DPP.  On the other hand, we believe that the fact that the president 
has not stood in the way of the detention, and possible indictment, 
of his son-in-law stands in stark contrast to the former 
authoritarian KMT regime and demonstrates the progress made in 
democratization during the past two decades." 
 
D) "President Argues Obstinately While Pan-Blue Camp Acts 
Foolishly" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] 
editorialized (6/21): 
 
"... But President Chen has shown two major flaws during his 
defense, which made his arguments unconvincing.  First, while 
seeking to clarify all the corruption scandals, Chen merely said in 
a resolute tone that he and his wife have never been involved in any 
of the scandals, without offering any reasonable details.  ... 
Second, while seeking to rebut the political 'accusations,' such as 
his causing cross-Strait tensions, diplomatic defeats, provoking 
ethnic confrontation, and suppressing freedom of the press, Chen 
cited many similar mistakes made during the old KMT regime in 
defending himself.  Such a defense may be convincing, but we are 
living in a different age now, and one should not use behavior under 
a totalitarian era to justify mistakes made during a democratic age. 
..." 
 
E) "Our Great President Chen, We Have All Blamed You Unjustly" 
 
The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] commented in 
an editorial (6/21): 
 
"Having listened to President Chen's 'Report to the People,' we only 
felt one thing:  The person we listened to was Lawyer Chen, who was 
defending himself using fine words, or Legislator Chen, who was 
involved in severe interrogation.  But we did not see President Chen 
'reporting to the people.'  During his talk, for two whole hours, we 
only heard [Chen] argue his point and deny [any accusations] in a 
clever and sophisticated way; he neither reflected on nor reviewed 
[his behavior]. ... 
 
"We need a president who listens to the voices of his people, not 
one who unilaterally cries out to his people.  We need a president 
with whom we can engage in a dialogue, not one who tries to ignite 
people's emotions using populism.  We need a president who faces 
doubts against him with a modest and open-minded attitude and who 
honestly explains the facts to his people, not one who cannot tell 
right from wrong and who tries to argue obstinately using various 
kinds of excuses.  Chen's 'Report to the People' made us see the 
part that is the last thing we expect from him." 
 
F) "Report to the People:  A Political Monologue That Deceives Chen 
and Others" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] said 
in an editorial (6/21): 
 
"... As of yesterday evening, the performances by Chen Shui-bian and 
the DPP in response to the recall motion have done nothing at all to 
help clarify the truth.  [Chen's defense] failed to get him out of 
the corruption scandals; instead, it has all the more deconstructed 
and sowed discord in society.  This 'Report to the People' was 
indeed a monologue that 'deceived Chen and others!'  Chen said: 
Please pull the trigger (against me) then!  A president who has led 
his country into disasters has turned out to be a victim, and a 
president who lacks a moral grounding and fails to govern his 
country appropriately has suddenly become a political saint. ..." 
 
 
G) "Chen's Report to People Won't Help Defuse Crisis" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] wrote in an editorial (6/21): 
 
"The decision by President Chen Shui-bian to deliver a televised 
report directly to the people yesterday in his first formal response 
to a legislative motion to recall him - instead of testifying before 
the lawmaking body, as constitutionally demanded - deserves 
condemnation by the opposition and the general public for his 
contempt for parliament and violating the rules of democracy.  ... 
The way Chen dealt with the legislative move by the Kuomintang (KMT) 
and the People First Party (PFP) to oust him not only demonstrated a 
lack of wisdom, but once again proved that he is a politician who 
will do anything if it can help him ride out a difficulty, caring 
little about moral principles. ... 
 
"This attitude suggests that the president is still unwilling to 
honestly face the people and to come clean about the controversies 
surrounding the many alleged wrongdoings by the people around him. 
...  In the event of a failure to push through the recall bill and 
have it voted on later by the people in a referendum, the best 
alternative to increase pressure on Chen is to launch a 
no-confidence vote against his premier, Su Tseng-chang. ...  Many in 
the public may be concerned that a round of sustained contests waged 
by the opposition against Chen will inevitably lead to political 
tensions, but allowing a president lacking the will to end 
corruption and having proved incapable of leading the country to 
continue to perform his role could prove to be more dangerous." 
 
KEEGAN