|
¡@
Chen¡¦s son ready to take on family¡¦s
political torch
By Amber Wang
AFP, TAIPEI
Monday, May 10, 2010, Page 3
¡§I had never planned to go down the road of politics, but this is a mission I
have to undertake for my father.¡¨¡X Chen Chih-chung, son of former president Chen
Shui-bian
The son of former president Chen Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó) says he is ready to embark on a
political career to defend his father and carry on his push for Taiwan¡¦s
independence.
In his first ever interview with foreign media, Chen Chih-chung (³¯P¤¤) said he
would never have considered entering politics were it not for his family¡¦s legal
woes, which could end with both his parents serving life sentences.
¡§My father has been treated unfairly and prevented from speaking out while in
detention for some 530 days. He and his supporters hope I can become his voice
and seek justice for him,¡¨ 31-year-old Chen Chih-chung said. ¡§I had never
planned to go down the road of politics, but this is a mission I have to
undertake for my father. I am ready to run to defend my father and to speak up
for him.¡¨
Slim and bespectacled, Chen Chih-chung is following in his father¡¦s footsteps by
pursuing politics after practicing law. Both graduated from National Taiwan
University¡¦s law school and the son also studied law at the University of
California, Berkeley and New York University.
The former president and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (§d²Q¬Ã), were convicted last year on
multiple corruption charges, while Chen Chih-chung was given a 30-month jail
term for money laundering in the same case.
Chen Chih-chung insisted he was only doing his mother¡¦s bidding when
transferring funds abroad, while she claimed that the money came from political
donations rather than embezzled state funds.
The Chens are currently appealing to the High Court, which is to deliver its
verdict on June 11.
The former president has blasted his conviction as a political vendetta by the
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government for his vigorous push for Taiwan¡¦s
independence.
Tensions rose during Chen¡¦s 2000-2008 rule as Beijing was often angered by his
policies seeking a separate future for Taiwan, including scrapping the highly
symbolic national unification council.
¡§My father promoted Taiwan¡¦s independent sovereignty in his eight years as
president, but the ruling [KMT] party dismissed his accomplishment in order to
fight pro-independence forces,¡¨ he said.
Some legal scholars have criticized the handling of the ex-president¡¦s case,
particularly his lengthy detention and a decision to replace the presiding judge
mid-trial.
¡§There are a lot of concerns that political factors are interfering with the
case and that he is being persecuted. How can the public believe in the outcome
if the process raises so many doubts?¡¨ Chen Chih-chung said. ¡§Since he¡¦s been
locked up for so long, he has been deprived of a fair chance to defend his
innocence.¡¨
Chen Chih-chung said he is not worried that his father¡¦s controversial legacy
would affect his chances of running as a councillor in Kaohsiung City, where he
now lives.
¡§There are bound to be both positive and negative reviews of a leader and only
history can make a fair judgement,¡¨ he said. ¡§I hope to push for my father¡¦s
political ideals and his insistence that each side of the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan
and China, is a country.¡¨
However, he admitted that his mother and wife still have reservations about his
campaign plans and he is trying to persuade them before formally announcing his
candidacy.
¡§They want me to spend more time with the family and my three-year-old daughter.
My mother never wanted my father to go into politics,¡¨ he said.
¡@
|
