Several polls indicated Taiwan residents approved of sentences on former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian.

A poll conducted by local TV channel TVBS showed that 50 percent of respondents thought the life-imprisonment sentences on Chen and his wife were not too harsh, only 29 percent said they were too harsh.

According to the poll, 49 percent respondents said the sentences were not politically motivated, only 30 percent said they were.

In another survey, conducted by the newspaper China Times, 39 percent respondents said the sentences were proper, 13 percent said they were too lenient while only 24 percent said they were too harsh.

Chen has said he would appeal against the corruption conviction handed down by the Taipei District Court last Friday, according to local media reports.

But Chen has not decided whether he will defend himself at the court during the second trial, according to the reports.

Chen was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court Friday afternoon after being convicted of embezzlement, money laundering, bribery and document falsification, and fined 200 million New Taiwan dollars (six million U.S. dollars).

Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment by the court.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2009)