By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Pro-independence groups were divided on the issue of amnesty for former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) appeared to be retreating from the issue.
Several DPP lawmakers and civic groups raised the amnesty issue after Chen, who is serving a 17-and-a-half-year sentence for corruption, was granted a temporary release from Taipei Prison on March 6 for a medical examination at Taoyuan General Hospital.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said last week that he had no plans to grant the pardon.
Taiwan Society president Wu Shu-min (吳樹民) yesterday said his organization would petition for a pardon, while the Taiwan Nation Alliance said it supported a release rather than an amnesty.
Alliance convener Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), a former DPP chairman, said he would not support the amnesty petition because it is not a legally feasible option and that an amnesty would only be granted after Chen pleads guilty to all charges against him.
Yao said similar cases in other countries may not apply to Chen because of different judicial systems, adding that several foreign heads of state were granted pardons even before they were prosecuted, but the same thing would not happen in Taiwan.
Yao said he would support a petition for a release for medical treatment or other reasons.
DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said on Monday his party would not touch the amnesty issue at the moment because only the president has the power to grant Chen a pardon, and such a move could not be considered before all his legal cases have concluded.
Chen still faces legal proceedings related to alleged irregularities during his second financial reform initiative, in addition to other money laundering and corruption charges.
However, several DPP lawmakers, including Mark Chen (陳唐山), said they would support the amnesty petition.
Taiwan Solidarity Union caucus whip Hsu Chun-hsin (許忠信) said his caucus supported the petition and urged the DPP to allow its lawmakers express their position freely.
Hsu said if the pan-green camp is able to garner strong public support, Ma might change his position on the issue.