World News Taiwan's Chen steps down

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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.

陳総統、引責辞任

台湾の陳水扁総統は14日、立法院（国会）選挙での敗北の責任を取り、民進党主席を辞任した。

Shukan ST: Dec. 24, 2004

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