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A dirty one on May 26, 2004 ……
A dirty pot taunts a clean kettle
With an eye to what could happen in the legislative elections in December, opinion leaders have already started to take a hard look at the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) legislative primaries, held on Sunday, which have been overshadowed by accusations of bribery. Many fear that the DPP leaders will let the presidential election victory go to their heads, to the detriment of the political process.
All DPP personnel with responsibility for campaign matters should review reports of wrongdoing with the utmost care, giving no leeway to those who are found to be in any way involved in bribery. They must do this to ensure that the people of Taiwan are not defrauded of their hopes in this election. And in the event that irregularities are discovered, the DPP should bravely face its faults and persevere in the work of reforming the party.
Currently DPP party regulations only bar people with criminal connections from becoming candidates; it has no regulations to bar people with a criminal record of financial misconduct. This loophole can easily attract undesirable characters and their associates who wish to use their wealth to acquire political power, and who take this opportunity to seek nomination to become legislators at large. If such a person won with a large majority in the primary, then the legislative election might become shrouded in rumors detrimental to the DPP.
Seeing the Chinese National Party's (KMT) and the People First Party's (PFP) criticisms of the DPP primaries in the news media, it is hard to know whether to laugh or cry. A closer look at these two parties reveals an even uglier situation. The two biggest opposition parties, while discussing a merger, don't even have systems in place for holding primaries, and no one knows whether they will hold any. Despite finding themselves in this situation, they still have the nerve to criticize the DPP's primary system.
After two consecutive presidential-election losses, the KMT still suffers from an almost total lack of intra-party democracy. All decisions are made by KMT Chairman Lien Chan, and the KMT-PFP merger discussions show that the party's Central Standing Committee meetings held every Wednesday are but nominal gatherings. An issue as important for the future existence of the KMT as a merger with the PFP only became known to most committee mem-bers when revealed to the news media by KMT Vice Chairman and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng. Lien then rushed to have his policy retroactively approved by the committee. Small wonder that some committee members still are voicing their reactions to the decision.
The PFP's internal democratic mechanism is even more laughable. The party has been established for more than four years since it split from the KMT, but it has not yet established a central standing committee. Even its party representatives were all appointed by Chairman James Soong. No wonder the outside world has criticized the PFP as a "one-man party." It seems that there is still a long way to go for the PFP to establish an internal democratic mechanism.
The establishment of a healthier democratic mechanism is indispensable if the nation's domestic politics are to get onto the right track. Obviously, the establishment of internal democratic mechanisms in all parties is crucial to achieving this goal. Otherwise, how can people rely on party leaders who have no democratic sense to defend Taiwan's democratic system in the future?
Perhaps the KMT and the PFP should take a close look at themselves before laughing at the DPP. The two parties should work harder to build their internal democratic mechanisms so that Taiwan can get rid of the shadow of oligarchy forever.
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On May 26, 2004 ……
New Zealand lawmaker blasts Chinese complaint
"I just find it bizarre that we
continue to tolerate this behavior by the Chinese." --- Peter Dunne,
leader of the United Future Party
AP, WELLINGTON
A New Zealand lawmaker yesterday alleged that he was scolded by a Chinese diplomat for attending President Chen Shui-bian's inauguration, a response he described as "bizarre" and "offensive."
United Future Party leader Peter Dunne -- a key supporter of Prime Minister Helen Clark's government -- told parliament that a Chinese Embassy official had told him it was a "matter of disappointment and dissatisfaction" that he went to the May 20 event.
"I just find it bizarre that we continue to tolerate this behavior by the Chinese," Dunne said, adding that the New Zealand government already maintains a "one China" policy.
"To me it was very offensive," he said. "I went there to take part in what I thought was a celebration of democracy -- which it certainly was -- and I didn't expect to get this sort of abuse from the Chinese Embassy for exercising my democratic rights."
Dunne said he attended the celebration at the personal invitation of Chen.
China denounced Chen on Monday for showing "no sincerity to improve relations" in his inauguration address and warned that peace between the two sides was in danger.
In an interview with reporters, Dunne said, "I know the Chinese wouldn't understand anything about democracy and freedom, but this is a free country, I have the right to travel."
The Chinese Embassy in Wellington did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.
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On May 26, 2004 ……
Lien's plea for `faith' conceals an insult to all
`The art of the KMT, according to Lien, is to ... lessen rationality ... if cast in the light of faith, then its aberration suddenly becomes excusable.'
By Chin Heng-wei
President Chen Shui-bian was sworn into office for his second term on May 20, raising the curtain on the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) long-term rule. As the most significant milestone over the past half-century in Taiwan's history, Chen's inauguration marks the watershed between the ending of an outsider regime and consolidation of a newly rising democratic power.
The process of the new filling in for the old is hardly smooth. Especially in pace with Taiwan's silent revolution, the state-party institution of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that had held on to power more than five decades is unlikely to crumble overnight. Although the KMT candidates were defeated in democratic elections, the party's past rule still emboldens the crestfallen to defy justice, truth, the rule of law and proceedings of democracy.
The remnant force now clings to a vain hope of overturning the election results. If their plan of overturning the results is aborted, they might mobilize to the last drop of their energy and spare not even the destruction of enemy and self alike. This is the mindset of the KMT that gives rise to chaos -- from the 2000 recall bill to the 2004 coup, to today's grouchy pan-blue camp that apparently thinks "If I can't be the star, then I will smash the stage."
Such unscrupulous bullying may have found justification during the past martial law rule. Yet this becomes grotesque in a democratized Taiwan. KMT Chairman Lien Chan, promoted an explanation for the KMT's puzzling conduct. The art of the KMT, according to Lien, is to taper sense and enhance sensibility; to lessen rationality and assume faith. In other words, if measured by the criterion of reason, the pan-blue camp's behavior cannot be more absurd. If cast in the light of faith, then its aberration suddenly becomes excusable.
To wrestle with Chen, Lien announced a merger proposal to unite the KMT and People First Party (PFP) on May 19. The merger bill put forth by Lien was co-signed by almost all party vice chairpersons. Lien put the bill on hold for the KMT representatives to rule in it and sent a personal message to Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou. Thus the KMT's 100-year-old secret art of ruling is unveiled. Lien's recipe for anodyne is that reason divides, faith unites.
Isn't Lien's abduction of the pan-blue camp by his faith the cause of the strife between the ruling and opposition parties, the spilt relations between ethnic groups, the political turmoil and the dichotomized identification since the pan-blue camp's defeat in the 2000 presidential election?
The most important element in democratization and modernization is to demystify. Taiwan has walked from autocracy to democracy step by step. Only the ghost of Lien lingers on. Since Lien has shown his ghastly face, the people will give him the ax, if not the KMT itself.
Chin Heng-wei is editor in chief of Contemporary Monthly.
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On May 26, 2004 ……
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