Scandal-plagued Taiwan president survives vote

TAIPEI - Scandal-plagued Taiwan President Chen Shui Bian survived a parliamentary vote aimed at unseating him yesterday as thousands of supporters and critics protested outside.

As expected the main Opposition Nationalist Party and the splinter People First Party lacked the necessary two-thirds majority to authorise a referendum on whether to kick Chen out of office.

A total of 119 deputies voted to refer Chen's fate to the electorate, while 14 cast null ballots, meaning that the motion fell short of the 148 votes needed to pass, parliamentary speaker Wang Jin Pyng said.

Barbed-wire barricades were set up outside Parliament before the vote, but no clashes were reported between thousands of Chen supporters and Opposition protesters. Up to 5000 policemen were mobilised to maintain order.

Chen's son-in-law was detained in May on suspicion of insider trading, a scandal that has pummelled Chen's approval rating and stoked political and stock market uncertainty.

Chen's wife has been accused of accepting millions of dollars' worth of department store gift certificates. Both have denied wrongdoing.

- REUTERS