The Local Council Alliance for A-bian’s Amnesty yesterday said that 85 percent of its members have signed a petition in favor of former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) pardon.
“A-bian” is Chen’s nickname.
There are 505 valid signatures, meaning that 85 percent of the 591 active Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) representatives have signed, said Kaohsiung City Councilor Hsiao Jung-ta (蕭永達), who also signed the petition.
Hsiao said he is confident Chen will be pardoned, since the DPP is the governing party and it is clear from the number of signatures that the party supports it.
Chen’s contributions far outshadow his crimes and the resources he left behind for the DPP outweigh the debt, he added.
Another supporter, Taipei City Councilor Chiang Chih-ming (江志銘), called Chen’s case a political one disguised as a legal case and urged President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to pardon the former president.
The Presidential Office said that the decision is the right and duty of the president, not of any political party or civil organization.
The administration will not make a decision based on the opinions of party members, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
Tsai, who also serves as DPP chairperson, will make her decision based on proper legal proceedings rather than on the opinions of the party, even though it is the governing party, Huang said.
The administration understands the signatories’ opinions, but believes that everyone will respect the president’s right to make the decision based on the Constitution, he added.
Source: Taipei Times - 2017/09/19
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