Taipei, Taiwan – Chen Shui-bian rode to the presidency of Taiwan in 2000 on what appeared to be the wave of the future.
People applauded his pledge to end the corruption that had become entrenched under the long-ruling Nationalist Party. Enthusiasm was high, particularly among the young, for his in-your-face assertion of a Taiwanese national identity.
But the wave has ebbed now, and the promise of a new era has dimmed. Chen’s wife has been indicted on charges of embezzling state funds, and Chen himself has been accused of wrongdoing.
The scandal has left his Democratic Progressive Party in disarray, undermining its image and its dreams, and the Nationalist Party has already begun planning for a return to the presidency in the next election, in 2008.
For Chen, the main mission is no longer independence or clean government, but survival. “He’s much weaker now,” said Winston Dang, a lawmaker who heads the Democratic Progressive Party’s international department.
The Nationalists introduced an impeachment motion Monday in the Legislative Yuan, or parliament. It was the first step in a recall process likely to roil Taiwanese politics for months.
Members of parliament said a vote would probably be held around Nov. 24, and if the motion passes, it would have to be put to a national referendum.
Although the Nationalists control the legislature, the key to the legislative vote is Chen’s own Democratic Progressive Party, which has enough votes to block the recall motion if its parliamentary members back him. Many have expressed disappointment with Chen’s actions, however. A dozen defections would be needed to seal the two-thirds majority required for passage.
The combative Chen, a 55-year-old lawyer noted for clever tactics in the political arena as well as the courtroom, has so far signaled no willingness to back away from the fight.
