The office of former President Chen Shui-bian has confirmed that Chen and his wife will not attend Friday’s inaugural banquet.
Chen served as president from 2000 to 2008. He was the first non-KMT president in Taiwan’s history. Chen was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2009 on charges of corruption. He served more than six years of his sentence before being granted medical parole. He has suffered from medical conditions including depression, brain atrophy and Parkinsonism.
President-elect Tsai Ing-wen invited Chen to attend her inaugural banquet on May 20, prompting discussion about whether he should attend. Like Tsai, Chen ran on a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket.
Chen’s medical team says that attending such an event would be helpful for his post-traumatic stress symptoms. But Chen has decided not to attend, reportedly saying that Tsai deserves the spotlight. Chen and his wife do not want their attendance to cause a disturbance or become a subject of controversy.
Chen and his wife have expressed gratitude for the invitation and extended their blessing to Tsai’s presidency. They have called on the people of Taiwan to support the new government.