The campaign to depose Taiwan "president" Chen Shui-bian for
alleged corruption seems to be gathering momentum as organizers
announced yesterday over 1 million people had endorsed it the
proposal.
Shih Ming-teh, who initiated the campaign on August 12,
announced that the drive had reached its target of enlisting 1
million supporters by yesterday afternoon. "We thank the people who
donated a combined 103 million Taiwan dollars (US$3.15 million) to
the drive," said Shih.
Shih, the former chairman of Chen's ruling Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) asked members of the public to donate 100
Taiwan dollars (US$3) each to show their commitment to the pledge
and said he would begin a sit-in protest near the "presidential
office" building once the 1 million target had been reached.
As of yet, Shih has not announced when his indefinite sit-in
protest will begin but it could coincide with Chen's expected trip
to Palau early next month. Shih's aides said on Monday that he
would start the protest as early as August 27 and no later than
September 9, with 200,000 people expected to join him at the
start.
"We hope that Chen will hear, see and feel the anger and anguish
of the people...Today not a single person can tolerate any longer
the acts of Chao Chien-ming (Chen's son-in-law), who still refuses
to confess to his crime," Shih said.
He attacked Chen, who himself is involved in corruption
scandals, for trying to protect his son-in-law through
manipulation. "The people will lead this anti-graft, anti-greed
campaign...to demand a clean government and social justice," he
added.
As prosecutors stepped up an enquiry into whether Chen had
misused and embezzled "state" funds, while Chen's family also faces
corruption allegations, money poured in from supporters of the
protest.
Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen is being investigated for allegedly
accepting large amounts of department store gift certificates and
their son-in-law Chao has been indicted for engaging in insider
trading.
Chen Shui-bian won his first "presidency" in 2000 ending the
half-century Kuomintang (KMT) rule. He was re-elected in 2004.
Shih's campaign follows an unsuccessful effort in June by the
opposition KMT and People First Party to pass a legislative bill
that would have put the issue of Chen's recall to a popular
vote.
(China Daily August 23, 2006)
