Taiwan MPs start push to recall president

TAIPEI, June 12: Taiwan lawmakers today voted to convene a special session of parliament to consider an opposition motion to oust President Chen Shui-bian, deepening a crisis that has pushed his approval ratings to record lows.

The passage of a so-called ''recall'' motion would authorise a referendum on whether Chen should step down, but analysts point out that although the opposition holds a slim majority in parliament, it lacks the two-thirds required to push such a motion through.

But today's decision kept the pressure on Chen to resign amid a series of scandals involving his family, and also kept pressure on investigators probing the scandals. Chen has already handed some of his powers to Premier Su Tseng-chang.

The extraordinary session will start tomorrow.

''Why did we bring up the recall? With the first family involved in irregularities, in terms of moral standards they have lost the people's trust,'' said Tseng Yung-chuan, Kuomintang legislative caucus whip.

If the recall measure is ultimately rejected, the opposition camp -- led by the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang -- is expected to push for a vote of no confidence against Chen's cabinet when parliament reconvenes in September.

''It's the start of a process, a process in many directions of putting political pressure on Chen Shui-bian to get him to quit,'' said Philip Yang, associate professor of political science at National Taiwan University.

Once the recall ball gets rolling, parliament has 15 days to deliberate the issue and can summon witnesses. Analysts say the opposition is hoping this will bolster public support for Chen to step aside. Chen has seven days from the start of proceedings to offer a written defence.

Chen's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was pushing for the extraordinary session to focus on what it considers to be more pressing issues, like a measure on flood relief.

Heavy rain in recent days has caused flooding and landslides around Taiwan, sweeping away homes, washing out roads and derailing a train at the weekend.

The deepening political crisis in Taiwan weighed on the island's markets with the Taiwan dollar closing weaker at 32.543 Taiwan dollars to the US dollar, and the stock index closing slightly lower after dipping more than one per cent.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Taiwan's capital on Saturday for the second consecutive weekend, calling for Chen to quit.

A handful of protesters today turned out at the legislative building holding placards and shouting anti-Chen slogans. More protests are planned for next weekend.

Chen's son-in-law was detained last month on suspicion of insider trading, and the first lady has been accused of accepting millions of Taiwan dollars of department store gift vouchers.

Chen's opposition fear Taipei prosecutors are soft-pedaling investigations into the alleged wrongdoings.

Analysts have said Chen is unlikely to step down, especially as the recall motion will probably fail.

Chen says the opposition is trying to oust him out of resentment over its election losses in 2000 and 2004, but public support for the president has crumbled.

In a recent poll by cable television station TVBS, 53 per cent of respondents said they wanted Chen to step down and 66 per cent thought he was not suitable to be president.

REUTERS