Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) Whether President Chen Shui-bian should resign ought to be determined according to the Constitution, and there are many more tasks for the president to complete during the remainder of his term, a group of Taiwan independence advocates said at a forum Saturday.
"The president's legitimacy is regulated and defined by the Constitution. Taiwan's ongoing problems should be resolved within the framework of the Constitution, instead of by resorting to 'outside powers'," political commentator Chin Heng-wei said.
The forum, titled "2008 and Taiwan's Future, " was organized by Taiwan Society North, a Taiwan independence advocacy group, on the same day that a number of public rallies were held in several cities calling the president to step down.
"What the president should do is tell the Taiwan people what he will do in the future as a president and apologize for what he has done wrong, " said Koo Kuan-min, a former senior advisor to President Chen.
Koo further said that President Chen failed to deliver on his promises related to all-out reform and economic policies during the last six years, adding that he has been unable to "flex his muscles" because of the "Four Noes" pledge given in his inaugural speech in 2000.
On the topic of the 2008 presidential election, Koo made clear that the election will be a choice between unification with China and Taiwan independence, adding that he is still optimistic that "the local regime will not be defeated."
"The outcome of the 2008 presidential election will be a defining moment for President Chen. If the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) fails to win, it will be seen as a 'one-hit wonder' and Chen will be remembered for this," Chin stressed.
Chen Mao-hsiung, a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University, said that both Ma Yin-jeou, the possible presidential candidate of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) , and Chen both value short-term "tactics" over long-term "strategies" because both of them have been through so many elections.
"All they want is to win (the elections). However, sometimes this does not serve the public's interests, " he added.