FOCUS: Taiwan's mayoral elections seen as no-confidence votes

TAIPEI, Nov. 26 Kyodo

Upcoming mayoral elections in Taiwan's capital Taipei and the southern city of Kaohsiung are shaping up to be no-confidence votes on not only embattled President Chen Shui-bian but also opposition leader Ma Ying-jeou.

Not long ago, the two veteran politicians were considered their parties' strongest vote-getters, even though their charisma would often outshine the candidates.

But with both now embroiled in separate scandals that show no sign of ending soon, the results of the Dec. 9 polls may determine both men's political fates.

Early this month, after a probe that lasted several months, prosecutors indicted First Lady Wu Shu-chen and three presidential aides on charges of corruption and forgery in connection with the embezzlement of state funds worth nearly NT$15 million (about

$457,000).

Chen, who defeated the Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate in the 2000 presidential election on an anti-corruption platform, is also suspected of graft and forgery, but is protected by presidential immunity.

Chen has maintained his innocence amid boisterous opposition calls to step down, insisting he will not quit before his mandate expires in 2008 unless the court rules that his wife is guilty of corruption.

The opposition has so far initiated three recall attempts against the president since the probe began. Each fell well short of the two-thirds support of the legislature required to succeed.

KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou is pushing the elections as a referendum against Chen in the hope that heavy losses by his Democratic Progressive Party would force him to step down.

Some DPP candidates have reportedly urged Chen to keep a low profile during campaigning to avoid being hit by fallout from the corruption allegations.

Frank Hsieh, the DPP mayoral candidate in Taipei, has said recently that he would prefer not to have an endorsement from Chen.

''President Chen has been a newsmaker and would probably steal the spotlight from me if he comes to my campaign activities,'' said Hsieh, who is lagging behind in opinion polls.

Chen may not be alone now in fighting accusations of corruption.

Last week, Ma, widely seen as the KMT standard bearer in the 2008 presidential election, was questioned by prosecutors over his mishandling of special allowances.

The political scandal erupted after several DPP legislators close to Chen accused Ma, the Taipei mayor whose second and final term ends next month, of embezzling NT$300,000.

Ma, whose ''Mr. Clean'' image has long contributed to his popularity, first dismissed the accusation as ''unfounded.''

However, he soon after apologized for the incident and admitted that one of his aides had been found to have forged receipts to claim expenses.

Under pressure, Ma said he would quit as KMT leader were he to be indicted.

Although Ma's case has now inspired prosecutors to investigate the use of special allowances by up to 6,500 government officials around the island, some KMT members have expressed concern that the episode will confuse moderate voters and jeopardize Ma's current position as well as his future chances in the 2008 race.

Recent reports indicate that both KMT mayoral candidates, who have enjoyed sizable leads since the beginning of the campaign, have suffered slight drops in approval ratings.

In Taipei, former Environmental Minister Hau Lung-bin has seen his popularity fall by at least 2 percentage points. In Kaohsiung, the DPP-nominated former Labor Minister Chen Chu is catching up with economist Huang Chun-ying.

''The Dec. 9 elections will be a crucial mid-term test for Ma, Chen and their camps,'' said Emile Sheng, a professor of political science at Soochow University.

''The losing side will inevitably face fierce criticism from within the party, which will in a way affect Taiwan's political development in the near future,'' she said.

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