World News

Taiwan's Chen steps down

TAIPEI (AP) - Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian took the blame for a legislative election defeat and resigned as the leader of his party Dec. 14, a move that might help Taiwan be more flexible with rival China and ease gridlock in parliament.

Chen's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its allies were stunned when an opposition alliance - which was disorganized and beset with squabbling - won the legislative election Dec. 11, taking 114 of the 225 seats.

Chen's DPP was still parliament's biggest party with 89 seats, but the party was no match for the Nationalist and People First parties, who for the past four years have teamed up to block the president's policies and whose supporters include many mainlanders who fled communist China.

Chen's resignation might affect relations with China, the island's neighbor that considers the self-ruled island part of Chinese territory. Beijing has refused to talk to Chen until he agrees that Taiwan belongs to China - a demand he has repeatedly rejected.

Shukan ST: Dec. 24, 2004

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