Over 1 million people have endorsed a campaign to depose Taiwan "president"
Chen Shui-bian for alleged corruption, organizers said yesterday.
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.
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 and said he would start a sit-in protest near the "presidential
office" once 1 million people had signed up.
Shih has yet to announce a date for the start of his indefinite
round-the-clock protest, but it could fall close to Chen's expected departure
for a trip to Palau early next month.
Shih's aides said on Monday that he will start the protest as early as August
27 and no later than September 9, and some 200,000 people are 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 more 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.
Money poured in as prosecutors stepped up a probe into whether Chen had
misused and embezzled "state" funds. Chen's family also faces corruption
allegations.
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 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 08/23/2006 page2)
