China discredits Chen and democracy in Taiwan, the Church urges respect for the law

Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) – At a meeting held today representatives from the majority and opposition parities in government have agreed to create a special task force to investigate Chen Shuibian's assassination attempt on the eve of the presidential elections. Meanwhile, American experts arrived in Taipai today to assist with the investigation.   

Yesterday, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party chairman, Lien Chan, and his ally James Soong Chu-yu, of the People's First Party, accepted to meet with President Chen Shuibian to try and resolve the post-elections crisis. Yet both have refused Chen's proposal to hold a meeting today, since the opposition is asking that such a meeting with the president be open to the media. On Saturday, March 27, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators invaded the streets of Taipei and roughly 500,000 rallied in protest outside the president's office.    

Lin Fong-chen, one of Lien Chan's assistants, asked that a special legal panel be set up to investigate why many soldiers and military officials were restricted from going to the polls. The opposition complained that many traditionally pro-KMT police and soldiers weren't able to vote on account of the state of emergency created by the mysterious assassination attempt.

A secretary for Lien Chan, Ting Yuan-chao, said that the opposition will strike back in two ways: first by seeking to nullify Chen's reelection and second by asking for a recount to verify the large number of invalidated ballots. According to some experts, should everything proceed without problems, on Wednesday, March 31, there will be a recount. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members state that the president is in favor of the task force and recount, provided that they are conducted according to the law.  

Meanwhile, for some days now the Chinese media have been reporting statements and news concerning the protests carried out on the island as well as Chen's failed referendum and internal strife –all to the discredit of Chen Shuibian and the Taiwan's system of democracy.

During the election campaign, China made comments only sparingly and delayed reporting the news of the attempt on President Chen and Vice-President Annette Lu's life until after announcing the winner of the elections. The Chinese media has often referred to Chen Shuibian and Annette Lu without mentioning their official titles but merely calling them "Taiwan's regional leaders". Yesterday newspapers reported a statement made by Chinese foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, in which he criticized a congratulatory message Chen received from the United States for being re-elected.

Even the Catholic Church has voiced its concerns regarding the internal crisis. Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, bishop of  Kaohsiung and president of the Taiwan Regional Bishops' Conference, urged citizens to act reasonably, urging demonstrators to return home and allow a court of law to decide the outcome based on the law.   

In the Sunday Examiner, the Hong Kong diocese weekly paper, Fr. Eamon Sheridan (on mission in Taiwan for over 17 years) said that accusations brought against President Chen regarding a faked assassination attempt were "extremely difficult to believe".

Fr. Sheridan also considers "improbable" that there was a fraudulent invalidation of election ballots, since such nullification of votes must have the approval of representatives from both parties. Therefore Fr. Sheridan said it's most likely that the voters themselves deliberately invalidated the ballots and that the election outcome is a reflection of young people's beliefs, as they consider themselves more Taiwanese than Chinese.    (MR)

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