The Fall of a President

About the Author
Foreword
Preface

1  Fall from Grace
2  An Examination of Chen Shui-bian’s Multiple Graft Cases
3  How the Chen Family Laundered Money across the Globe
4  Turning Divisive Issues into Political Assets
5  Elected to a Second Term
6  Tensions with Beijing Near Boiling Point
7  Endorsing a ‘Second Republic’ Constitution
8  Applying to Join the WHO as ‘Taiwan’
9  A Bid to Join the United Nations
10  Pushing for a Referendum on Joining the U.N.
11  Chen Shui-bian’s Legacy as President

Epilogue

 

推薦序 Foreword

　　Chen Shui-bian is one of the most consequential -- and controversial -- politicians in Taiwan’s modern history. The former lawyer who rose from a humble farming background was instrumental in Taiwan’s transformation from authoritarian rule to the thriving democracy of today. It was Chen who broke the political grip of the ruling Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), winning the presidency in 2000 and paving the way for the first peaceful transfer of power to the opposition – the Democratic Progressive Party. But Chen, who was later convicted in four corruption-related criminal cases, was also responsible for inflicting great political harm on a young democracy and staining the office of the president. The lengthy court battles that ensued and the damaging testimony that emerged undermined his important accomplishments, convincing even some of his closest allies in the push for democratic reform to abandon him. Ultimately, Chen will be remembered as the first president of Taiwan to be sentenced to jail.

　　Chen’s intriguing story deserves retelling, and veteran journalist Osman Tseng, author of The Fall of a President, is uniquely suited to the task. Tseng’s journalistic career spanned more than four decades with the Chinese language China Times as well as English media outlets, the China Post and the China Economic News Service (CENS), part of the United Daily News media group. This gave him a choice vantage point for observing Chen’s political ascent and the dramatic legal battles of his eventual downfall.

　　In The Fall of a President, the author draws on a wide range of research material, court documents, public statements, domestic and foreign news reports as well as his contemporaneous commentaries and editorials to assess the Chen presidency and its effects on Taiwan’s political landscape. He offers his readers a detailed account of the twists and turns in the various court cases involving Chen and First Lady Wu Shu-chen, among others, stemming from actions taken during the eight years of the Chen administration. He also examines  Chen’s policies toward the mainland, which was long wary of what it perceived to be thinly disguised pro-independence objectives, and assesses the president’s often strained interactions with the United States. The author traces how tensions flared in both of these critical relationships. His conclusions are instructive for readers today.

　　The Fall of a President provides insight into the career of one of the most perplexing actors on Taiwan’s political stage. It is likely to be of significant value to historians, journalists, and all general readers with an interest in Taiwan’s political development.

　　William Kazer
　　(William Kazer is a former correspondent for Reuters and the Wall Street Journal as well as a CENS alumnus)

作者序 Preface

　　The Fall of a President is a work about Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s charismatic but controversial former leader. Chen served as the president of Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, from 2000 to 2008, leaving behind a dizzyingly mixed legacy that ran the gamut from praise for his inspirational democratic ideals to vexation and condemnation for his crass and venal behavior. That legacy also included social and political divisions that are not fully healed today.

　　Several factors compelled me to write this book. First and foremost, the ex-president provides a classic example of how “power corrupts.” In 2000, he came to office pledging to combat corruption and ensure clean government. But eight years later, after stepping down from office, he was prosecuted for taking bribes and money laundering in his official capacity, as well as obstruction of justice.

　　At the end of protracted court battles, Chen was found guilty and sentenced to a combined 20 years in jail. The charges against him and his wife were many. They were related to taking kickbacks in a land procurement deal, involvement in an office-buying scandal, soliciting payments related to an exhibition hall construction project, receiving bribes to smooth the way for the merger of two financial institutions, and money laundering.

　　Another convincing reason for undertaking this project was that Chen was an internationally known figure who managed to alarm friends as well as adversaries. This unique quality could be seen in many of the policies pursued during Chen’s time in office and the controversies they created. I hope that my analysis will help future Taiwan administrations avoid such disruptions in carrying out their duties.

　　In May 2000 when Chen Shui-bian began his first term as president, he famously pledged to the United States and the international community that he would not pursue independence for Taiwan while in office. Independence was – and still is -- the acknowledged “third rail” of Taiwan politics. China insists it is willing to wage war to prevent it. Chen’s message seemed to be clear: he would not cross that thin red line.

　　But Chen abandoned those firm pledges throughout his presidency, bowing to a combination of greed and political expediency. In a speech in August 2002, Chen declared, “With Taiwan and China on each side of the Taiwan Strait, each side is a country.” The following year, Chen announced he planned to draft a new constitution for Taiwan.

　　In his final year in office, from April 2007 to March 2008, Chen embarked on a series of political actions that were seen as the most controversial of his presidency. His applications for formal entry into the World Health Organization and the United Nations and his campaign to conduct a U.N.-related referendum prompted strong opposition from both Beijing and Washington. They saw these moves as aimed at promoting Taiwan as an independent country and changing its political status.

　　A look back at these and other related controversies surrounding Chen’s tenure will provide insights into where Taiwan was heading politically, socially, and economically under his leadership. As I noted earlier, it also offers us valuable lessons that could apply to Taiwan’s future political direction.

　　There is another personal reason behind my decision to write The Fall of a President. As a longtime journalist and newspaper editorial writer who regularly covered Chen Shui-bian and tracked his performance, I have abundant knowledge as well as a strong sense of the importance of recounting the events of his presidency and commenting on his legacy.

　　My views and the discussions on the following pages are supported by information collected from the former leader’s statements, news releases by relevant government agencies, court documents, comments by Taiwan and international experts, and reports in authoritative newspapers, as well as the numerous editorials I wrote about the president during his time in office and afterward.

　　The Fall of a President consists of 11 chapters, with each one covering a specific topic, as listed below.