2006-07-03 News Release June 28, 2006

News Release
June 28, 2006
The People First Party

Soon after the result of recalling President Chen Shui-bian in the Legislative Yuan released on June 27th, 2006, Chairman of the People First Party (PFP), James Soong, and all PFP legislators hosed a press conference in front of the parliament to express their the utmost respect and appreciation to the 23 million people in Taiwan.

In order to constantly strive against President Chen’s corrupt administration, PFP has decided in the future to practice the following three steps: Filing a non-confidence vote in the Cabinet, pushing for a re-shuffle in the parliament and pushing for another recall motion in the new-elected parliament.

Not only PFP has already accomplished the signature within the PFP Caucus, but at the same time has called on the Legislative Yuan to convene another special session for having a no-confidence vote in the Cabinet.

Chairman James Soong said that there were totally 119 legislative seats out of 225 occupied seats to cast a “yes” vote against the president. Although half of the legislative seats agreed to recall, the Taiwanese people’s constitutional rights to have a final say was unfortunately taken away in the parliament---requiring two-thirds majority (148 votes) to pass. Taiwan, as a mature democratic nation, people’s fundamental rights cannot be obliterated. Could the constitutional rights of 23 million people be obstructed by less than 100 parliamentarians, who cast a “no” vote?

However, we are not discouraged, especially after 7 days of sit-in in front of the Legislature. This is because every grand social movement is always to start with many expectations and abhorrence by most people in history, but the movement itself is only to be accomplished by few people who have the determined mind.

For instances, when both Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Grandhi had begun the Human Rights Movement and the Peace Movement, both had been greatly sneered at by many at the beginning. When Corazon C. Aquino had wanted to overthrow President Ferdinand E. Marcos’s corrupt administration, she had been looked down by many with no confidence. They however all succeeded in the end.

Chairman Soong said although the recall motion failed to be approved in the parliament, we have still achieved three little progresses in the process of recalling. First, that so-called “A-Bian Myth” in society has been smashed totally. President Chen Shui-bian has become the first-ever president to be recalled in the history of the Republic of China Constitution, because of his corruption.

Secondly, factitious images of “clean politics” and “democracy” played by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have been fully torn off. DPP is only a political “gang” that concerns about “power” only with no consideration of rationality. DPP is still playing the game of “ethnic tension” in society for the goal of covering up its “black-gold” issue.

Finally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislators cast in-valid ballots by writing “abstention” on their ballots, a move that has clearly demonstrated the power shown by the Taiwanese people has forced TSU to draw a clean line between TSU and the corrupt DPP.Chairman Soong said that, through the Taiwanese people’s power, people in the world have vividly understood that “clean politics” and “democracy” are merely political slogans played by DPP for interests. “Localization” is only a shelter for DPP’s survival. Ethnic tension is a risky game that DPP loves to play for interests also.

To DPP, power and money are lucrative meats to gobble up under a flag of “localization.” However, “clean politics” and “democracy” still present the highest morality and values in Taiwan that we must insist on, Chairman Soong said.

In fact, President Chen Shui-bian could become the second “Ferdinand E. Marcos” and Taiwan could be turned into the second “the Philippines,” where people are suffering from corruption and poor economic performances in the government, if a bloodshed revolution were embarked upon by people to oust President Chen Shui-bian.

Rather than looking for that radical struggling in society, PFP, as a rational political party to speak for the mainstream of public opinion, therefore, has initiated first for a no-confidence vote in the Cabinet.

Reasons are simple: First, Premier Su Tseng-chang is no longer to win the best trust from people in Taiwan and to be the honored leader of civil officers nationwide after recalling, in which the premier seriously disrespected the dignity of the Legislative Yuan and abused the idea of democracy.

Secondly, to re-shuffle the parliament presents the best way in Taiwan to resolve the tension between “pan-blue” and “pan-green”---letting the 23 million people have a final say, given that tension displays no “black” and “white” to the people.

Thus, PFP has mapped out the three-stage plan against the corrupt DPP: Filing a no-confidence vote in the Cabinet, pushing for a re-shuffle in the parliament and pushing for another recall motion in the new-elected parliament. If this appeal succeeds, the recall motion against President Chen Shui-bian will succeed in the end.

Chairman James Soong also called on Vice President Annette Lu, President of Academia Sinica Lee Yuan-tseh, and former president Lee Teng-hui to bravely stand up against the corrupt president for justice.

PFP appreciates valuable support given by people and those who gave their precious support to chairman James Soong as he practiced the 7-day sit-in in front of the parliament. PFP will do the utmost to fight for Taiwan’s high-quality democracy with the 23 million people together.