Over 1 million people have endorsed a campaign to depose Taiwan "president" Chen Shui-bian for alleged corruption, organizers said yesterday.

Shih Ming-teh, who initiated the campaign on August 12, announced that the drive had reached its target of enlisting 1 million supporters by yesterday afternoon.

"We thank the people who donated a combined 103 million Taiwan dollars (US$3.15 million) to the drive," said Shih.

The former chairman of Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) asked members of the public to donate 100 Taiwan dollars (US$3) each to show their commitment and said he would start a sit-in protest near the "presidential office" once 1 million people had signed up.

Shih has yet to announce a date for the start of his indefinite round-the-clock protest, but it could fall close to Chen's expected departure for a trip to Palau early next month.

Shih's aides said on Monday that he will start the protest as early as August 27 and no later than September 9, and some 200,000 people are expected to join him at the start.

"We hope that Chen will hear, see and feel the anger and anguish of the people...Today not a single person can tolerate any more the acts of Chao Chien-ming (Chen's son-in-law), who still refuses to confess to his crime," Shih said.

He attacked Chen, who himself is involved in corruption scandals, for trying to protect his son-in-law through manipulation.

"The people will lead this anti-graft, anti-greed campaign...to demand a clean government and social justice," he added.

Money poured in as prosecutors stepped up a probe into whether Chen had misused and embezzled "state" funds. Chen's family also faces corruption allegations.

Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen is being investigated for allegedly accepting large amounts of department store gift certificates and their son-in-law Chao has been indicted for engaging in insider trading.

Chen won his first "presidency" in 2000 ending the half-century Kuomintang (KMT) rule. He was re-elected in 2004.

Shih's campaign follows an unsuccessful effort in June by the opposition KMT and People First Party to pass a legislative bill that would have put the issue of Chen's recall to a popular vote.

(China Daily 08/23/2006 page2)