Taiwan lawmakers to vote on president's removal

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

TAIPEI, Nov 23 (Reuters) Taiwan's parliament will vote on Friday on whether to let the island's electorate decide on the fate of President Chen Shui-bian, whose wife and aides have been indicted on corruption-related charges.

For the third time since June, opposition legislators yesterday began discussing a bill that would call for a public referendum on recalling Chen before his second term ends in 2008.

But because the ruling Democratic Progressive Party backs Chen as a bloc, the bill is expected to lack a two-thirds majority necessary for passage.

''The number of votes could be even fewer this time,'' said Hsu Yung-ming, assistant research fellow at think-tank Academia Sinica in Taipei. ''It's a waste of time. It won't pass. The Taiwan public is not going to appreciate it.'' On November 3, Taiwan high court prosecutors indicted first lady Wu Shu-chen for embezzlement and receipt forgery involving 14.8 million Taiwan dollars of the president's state affairs fund.

Several aides were also indicted for missusing the same fund, and the prosecutor said he had enough evidence to charge Chen if he were not protected by presidential immunity.

Thousands marched through the streets in September and October calling for Chen's resignation following a string of financial scandals involving presidential aides and relatives.

But legislators from the opposition Nationalists and People First Party failed to pass ouster motions in June and October despite loud, passionate speeches on the parliament floor.

Friday's 10-page motion, drafted in early November, has been endorsed by 92 lawmakers. A two-day hearing on the bill opened yesterday with speeches and questions to a panel of invited political scholars.

Chen will not appear in parliament to defend himself.

REUTERS AKJ VV0927

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