43% of Taiwanese want scandal-hit Chen to resign (AP) Updated: 2006-06-02 11:56
TAIPEI - Almost half of Taiwanese doubt "president" Chen Shui-bian's
pledge to hand government control to Taiwan's "premier" to take responsibility
for a series of scandals, and 43 percent said they want him to resign, a poll
said Friday.
Chao Chien-ming, a doctor married to Taiwan
leader Chen Shui-bian's daughter, is escorted by Bureau of Investigation
agents in Taipei May 24, 2006. Chao and four members of Chen's family were
questioned on Wednesday by Bureau of Investigation agents probing a
snowballing insider trading scandal.
[Reuters] | On Thursday, Chen pledged to give
full control of the "Cabinet" to "premier" Su Tseng-chang and vowed to not
interfere in the affairs of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following
accusations of corruption involving his administration and family.
Forty-nine percent of respondents to the poll said they did not believe
Chen would cede power, 18 percent said they thought he would, and the remainder
said they didn't know, according to the China Times newspaper which conducted
the poll.
Meanwhile, 28 percent of respondents said Chen should be
allowed to complete his second term in office - set to end in 2008 - while 43
percent said they want him to step down now, according to the poll. The rest had
no opinion.
Chen's announcement ceding power came in the wake of damaging
allegations against his son-in-law, his wife and a close political
ally.
On May 24, police arrested Chen's son-in-law Chao Chien-min on
suspicion he used inside information to profit from the purchase of shares in
partly state-owned property company Taiwan Development Corp. Chao has denied the
charges.
The opposition has also accused Chen's wife of receiving free
vouchers from the management of an upscale Taipei department store, and says she
may have played a role in its takeover by a businessman whose bid was less than
that of at least one rival suitor. The "presidential office" has denied any
wrongdoing in that case.
On Thursday, "presidential" Deputy
Secretary-General Ma Yong-cheng resigned following opposition accusations that
he got involved in business deals and took favors from executives - accusations
that he also has denied.
The newspaper conducted the poll of 704 people
by telephone Thursday night. It has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage
points.
|