Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AITTAIPEI1916
2006-06-05 22:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT CHEN CEDING POWERS

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO TW 
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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


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