Protesters Call On Taiwan's Leader to Quit

Chen Urged to Take Responsibility for Alleged Wrongdoing by Relatives, Aides

Protesters give a thumbs down to President Chen Shui-bian at a rally in a main street in Taipei. Chen's son-in-law has been indicted on insider trading charges. The president's wife also faces allegations of financial misconduct. (By Maurice Tsai -- Bloomberg News)

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 9 -- Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Taiwan's capital Saturday demanding the resignation of President Chen Shui-bian, whose family members and close aides have been embroiled in a string of corruption scandals.

Chanting "Step down!" and wearing red, the protesters called for Chen to take responsibility for the alleged wrongdoing and resign.

Huge red balloons, some with the Chinese characters for "honor," floated above the masses of people gathered in a main street near the Presidential Office in Taipei. Organizers of the mostly peaceful rally said the protesters' numbers swelled to 200,000, but police put the figure at 70,000.

Chen, a passionate supporter of formalizing Taiwan's independence from China, has the backing of his party and pro-independence stalwarts and is unlikely to step down before his term expires in 2008.

The months-old allegations that his wife, other relatives and key aides exploited their positions for illegal financial gain have weakened his leadership. The situation has raised questions about whether Chen will have the confidence to push for formal independence for the self-ruled island of 23 million, a move China has threatened to oppose with military force.

The rally, one of the first not to be sponsored by either Chen's party or the opposition, was led by Shih Ming-teh, former chairman of Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Shih, a former mentor of Chen's, was a prisoner for more than two decades for opposing the authoritarian rule of the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang.

Shih announced his campaign to oust Chen last month, saying he would seek support from a million people and ask each to donate about $3. He said he reached his target of $3 million in less than two weeks.

Taiwanese intellectuals who formerly supported Chen, including artists, novelists and key members of bar associations, have joined the push for his resignation.

Shih appeared before the crowd Saturday making the "thumbs down" sign. Shih, who plans to stage a sit-in outside the Presidential Office until Chen steps down, said the protest would continue indefinitely.

Chen's son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming, was indicted on insider trading charges in July. Prosecutors are also investigating allegations that first lady Wu Shu-chen accepted millions of Taiwan dollars in gift vouchers in exchange for using her influence in a department store takeover.

The Presidential Office acknowledged in a statement Thursday that prosecutors had questioned Chen last month about the suspected use of fake receipts to account for part of secret state funds used for diplomatic activities. Chen has said that he and his wife are innocent and that no state funds went to private individuals.

Protesters said Saturday that the statement was not enough and that the president should resign.

"We hope our president can step down," said Lee Huang-ming, who works at a state-run enterprise. "He is corrupt, and his family is corrupt. He is not suited to our times."

Independent analysts said the protests could compel the judiciary to investigate the scandals more thoroughly.