Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's promotion of a "referendum" on
the island's entry into the United Nations in recent months has
been criticized as a method to seek personal interests.
Wu Yi, a scholar with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, made
the comment in his article published on Saturday, noting that
Chen's disregard of people's call for peace and strong opposition
from international community will jeopardize cross-strait stability
seriously.
Taiwan authorities sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-Moon in July, raising an application to join the United Nations
in the name of "Taiwan." Meanwhile, Chen Shui-bian has been pushing
for a plan to hold a "referendum" inside Taiwan on its entry to the
United Nations.
One of the reasons why Chen has promoted the "Referendum" by all
means despite opposition is to seek protection of himself and his
family after retirement, Wu said.
Since 2006, Chen's favorites, son-in-law, wife and himself have
been involved in several corruption scandals. No matter if the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) could hold the power in Taiwan
in 2008, Chen will lose judicial immunity and will face several law
suits.
As a result, Chen desperately seeks protection from "Taiwan
Independence" forces, including the "referendum", to avoid judicial
punishment after his retirement, the scholar said.
Moreover, Chen Shui-bian, an infamous power fanatic, want to use
the "referendum" plan to maintain his political impact on DPP and
deal with a ever worst political crisis after mass rally to oust
him held by opposition party last year.
For the DPP, Chen's "referendum" plan could be used to diverse
attentions of public voters for the election of the island in 2008
from DPP's poor economic and social achievement after coming into
power.
The DPP could also use the plan to attract more votes from
independence forces to compete with the opposition Kuomintang Party
in the election, the scholar said.
Wu Yi refuted Chen Shui-bian's "referendum" plan for alleged
"public opinion" of 23 million Taiwan people. Chen's promoted the
plan just to conceal his political incapacity and corruption, Wu
said.
The scholar also pointed out that the "referendum" plan is
another move to seek "de jure Independence" and has been regarded
as an important method to realize "Taiwan Independence" by the
DPP.
Although most of the Taiwan compatriots have been indifference
to the "referendum" plan on the island's entry into the United
Nations, however, Chen and DPP's move will definitely bring endless
harm to the society in the island, and the stability and
development of across-strait relations, Wu said.
(Xinhua News Agecy September 16, 2007)