MEDIA REACTION: RECALL OF PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN

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