They blamed President Chen for Taiwan’s seven-year-long economic doldrums that caused 23,530 people to burn charcoal in sealed rooms to kill themselves as of the end of 2006.

Suicides peaked in the last two years, practically all of them of “card slaves.”

Those who have to work hard like slaves to repay their credit and cash card debts are called “card slaves.” When they can not repay, many choose suicide by shutting themselves up in sealed rooms, where they burned charcoal to choke themselves to death.

“After Chen came to power in 2000,” Kuomintang lawmaker Chu Feng-chih said, “Taiwan has remained in an economic recession that has led to the tragic death of so many people. He is the chief culprit and the true executioner.”

The ignominious sobriquet is tit for tat. President Chen called Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek the “chief culprit” of the February 28 Incident of 1947.

Democratic Progressive Party legislators refuted their Kuomintang opposite numbers.

“These people committed suicide, because the Kuomintang, while ruling Taiwan, allowed too many banks to be opened,” said Wang Hsing-nan, DPP legislative caucus deputy whip.

Sixteen years ago, Wang said, there were only 16 banks.

“In 2000, there were 53,” Wang pointed out.

Banks switched to consumer lending in the first years of the 21st century. Credit and cash cards were issued almost without any restrictions.

That turned many people into “card slaves,” Wang added.

“The Kuomintang is much more responsible (for those suicides) than the Democratic Progressive Party,” Wang charged, adding:

“How could they (the Kuomintang lawmakers) dare to call President Chen the chief culprit?”

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