Taiwan parliament hears new bid to oust president

Taipei, Sept 26: Taiwan's parliament was presented with a second attempt today to oust President Chen Shui-bian, though the chances of it succeeding were still remote despite street protests and growing allegations of corruption.

Parliament member Lu Hsue-chang submitted a seven-page ''recall'' motion saying Chen lacked governing ability.

A two-thirds majority of parliament would be required for the motion to pass, authorising a referendum on whether the island's independence-leaning president should step down.

An effort to force Chen out through a recall failed in June because the opposition -- led by the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang -- could get only a slim majority in parliament.

The fresh attempt to topple Chen comes after hundreds of thousands of people, led by former ruling party chairman Shih Ming-teh, took to Taipei's streets this month calling for him to go.

Smaller rallies in southern Taiwan this week led to scuffles between anti- and pro-Chen camps.

Chen, who was elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 by a thin margin, has been questioned over the undocumented use of more than T million (dollars 1.12 million) from his confidential state affairs budget of last year.

His wife, Wu Shu-chen, is accused of accepting millions of Taiwan dollars in department store gift certificates, but Chen has rejected the accusation. His son in-law, Chao Chien-ming, is facing insider trading charges and fighting them in court.

Chen's ex-deputy chief of staff faces corruption charges.

Chen has said he has done nothing wrong and will not resign unless required to do so legally.

Analysts say that unless Taiwan prosecutors find evidence of wrongdoing, odds are low that Chen will prematurely end his second four-year term as president before it expires in May 2008.

REUTERS