MEDIA REACTION: INDICTMENT OF FIRST LADY WU SHU-CHEN

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003778 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - DAVID FIRESTEIN DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INDICTMENT OF FIRST LADY WU SHU-CHEN ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's dailies gave significant reporting and editorial coverage November 4-7 to the indictments of First Lady Wu Shu-chen and three presidential aides last Friday, and President Chen Shui-bian's televised address to the Taiwan people Sunday evening. All the major Chinese-language dailies of November 6 front-paged President Chen's remarks that he will step down if his wife is found guilty in an initial trial on corruption charges. A "China Times" poll conducted November 3 found that 53.8% of those polled said President Chen should resign over the corruption scandal, while 16.7% of respondents said Chen should stay in office till his term ends, and 29.5% of them declined comment. According to a "United Daily News" poll conducted November 3, 60% of the respondents said President Chen should resign, while 21% said Chen should not, and 17% of respondents did not answer the question. Following President Chen's "Report to the People" Sunday evening, an "Apple Daily" poll indicated November 6 that 66% of the respondents did not believe Chen's explanation. ¶2. Editorials in Taiwan newspapers are divided along each paper's political stand. The pan-Green-aligned newspapers basically accepted President Chen's clarification and said that a court judgment on the presidential allowance for state affairs case will provide a foundation for the decision of Chen's political responsibility. The pan-Blue-inclined papers, however, lashed out at Chen and said a president who is corrupt and who lies is no longer entitled to the presidency. End summary. A) "Let's Await Judicial Judgment on the State Affairs Fund Case" The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] editorialized (11/6): "... We believe that, even following President Chen's earnest and sincere clarification, people who believe in him will continue to do so, while those who do not believe in him will remain unchanged as well. But it is a public consensus that Taiwan's political, economic, and social stability must be maintained, so those who do not believe in Chen must not appeal to mass movements outside the system again. Since everyone believes that, judging from Prosecutor Eric Chen's indictment, [Taiwan's] judiciary is worth hoping for, then why don't [we] await a court judgment on the presidential account for state affairs case?" B) "The President Must Make His Case" The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 30,000] editorialized (11/5): "... After reading the indictment, it seems that [Prosecutor] Eric Chen is genuinely dealing with this case purely on the basis of evidence and standing by the letter of the law. ... The prosecutor's investigation suggests that the president did not use the fund for the legitimate purposes that he has claimed, which is the real issue here. To be more precise, the prosecutor found that four out of the six secret missions for which the president had claimed reimbursement were non-existent. ... With so much at stake for the nation, President Chen must make his case. If he is telling the truth, he needs to provide proof immediately." C) "Chen Lets Court Resolve Crisis" The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 20,000] editorialized (11/6): "... The indictments against Wu Shu-chen et al for 'corruption and forgery of documents' were a heavy blow to the authority and credibility of President Chen, but did not constitute a 'guilty' judgment or 'prove' that Chen is a corrupt president or that the DPP is a corrupt administration. ... The question of whether President Chen is factually or legally guilty of graft or corruption must be the essential foundations of any demand that the president take responsibility for corruption on gross misuse of power by resigning. In our view, the question of political responsibility cannot be answered until the question of legal or criminal responsibility is determined and before a reasonably comprehensive account of what actually happened is revealed. "Hence, we remain strongly opposed to any 'third' recall motion filed by the opposition KMT and PFP and deeply regret the decision by the pan-green opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union to declare its support for such a third recall, which is nothing more than another expression of cutthroat political struggle and will neither promote justice or democracy. ... Whether our citizens will believe President Chen, we believe his decision to accept the court judgment on his wife will then provide a foundation, albeit imperfect, for the decision of his personal political responsibility. We are confident that history and the judiciary will indeed confirm President Chen's innocence." D) "[Chen] Should Be Held Responsible for Political Upheavals Even If He Is Not Involved in Corruption" The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] editorialized (11/6): "... During his 'Report to the People' yesterday evening, President Chen continued to seek to rebut the statements in the indictment, scheming to find every linguistic loophole he could. He still failed to grasp the fact that it does not matter any more whether the indictment is comprehensive or accurate or not; instead, [he must realize that] the key lies in the fact that his family problems have caused severe damage [to society], including recurring political upheavals, plunging government prestige, ruined presidential authority, and a crisis of confidence in public authority. Also, the president's image and leadership have fallen apart; the DPP has suffered severe damage; those who support the party are humiliated, and all the Taiwan people feel outraged. Even if it is true that the President is not involved in corruption, he should resign to quell the political turmoil and let his people rest to mend the wound, simply because he has done so much harm to the nation. ..." E) "Abuse of Law and Power Is Abuse of Law and Power; Stop Making up Excuses!" The pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 400,000] editorialized (11/6): "Chen Shui-bian 'reported to the people,' saying that he will step down once Wu Shu-chen is found guilty in an initial trial. Such an announcement was of course aimed at removing the imminent pressure forcing him to resign, but a more direct message Chen meant to convey was: 'I will not step down!' Chen even pushed his battle line to the initial trial! During the one-and-a-half hour 'Report to the People,' Chen repeatedly argued about 'different perceptions' and 'flawed procedures.' To put it in plain language, Chen has not only failed to clarify the charges [against him] of violating the law and abuse of power but has openly acknowledged that he has used his presidency to abuse his power. We must say that the more Chen talked, the more it proved that he should step down. ... "Any president who believes he has that many makeshift measures and so many difficulties that he cannot talk about is in reality abusing his power! The development of the presidential state affairs fund case so far has clearly exposed a president who lacks an accurate understanding of the constitutional system and the role of the president, and who shows total disregard for the rule of law and the supervisory authorities. Chen's performance in this case alone would mean that he is no longer entitled to be president!" F) "All Lies: A President Involved in Corruption Should Not Be Pardoned; A President Who Lies Is Particularly Unforgivable!" The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] editorialized (11/6): "... The DPP's request that Chen make clarification after the case was closed is in fact akin to forcing him to lie in public again. Such a move is naturally not conducive for Chen to save his own credibility and that of the DPP. When a president must argue 'I am not a liar,' can he still look his people in the eye? How much truth can the people read from his lips? The remainder of Chen's term of office is one-and-a-half years, but the judicial procedures are very slow. Chen claimed that he would step down once [he] was found guilty in an initial trial; it is akin to telling the public that he will not plead guilty and resign. A nation's law finds it impossible to pardon this corrupt president, and the Taiwan people must punish this unworthy politician who is full of lies and has no credibility at all!" G) "DPP Must Break with Chen in Order to Survive" The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" [circulation: 30,000] commented in an editorial (11/6): "With the indictment of first lady Wu Shu-chen on corruption charges, the Chen Shui-bian government plunged into uncertainty. No one can doubt that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is facing the worst crisis since it was founded 20 years ago. ... Last night, President Chen - speaking in a televised address - tried to defend himself against the charges in the indictment. However, the explanation he offered can hardly convince those who hear it. ... It's time that DPP woke up and realized how unwise and disastrous it would be to continue supporting a corrupt leader. Chen's misbehavior has caused the DPP's popularity to sink to new lows and had a significant effect on the party's ability to win electoral battles. Polls taken in the past few days show that support for the party's candidates in the upcoming elections have fallen further behind their opposition counterparts. ... However, those at the top level of the party and most legislators of the party still insist Chen should stay on, arguing that he is innocent. The DPP is certainly doomed if these politicians keep their heads buried in the sand." WANG