United Daily New editorial
translated by Bevin Chu
May 12, 2007
Taiwan Independence "lawmakers" demonstrate their "respect for democracy" by assaulting Pan Blue legislators inside the Legislature
Taiwan Independence Zealots egg them on from outside the Legislature
Confrontations occurred both inside and outside the Legislative Yuan yesterday. On the surface it merely looks like a deadlock in the parliament. A closer look reveals that it is a nation in paralysis.
The Legislative Yuan has been deadlocked for months over the general budget and the Organic Law for the Central Election Commission (CEC). The root of the problem is neither the confrontation between a small ruling party and a large opposition party, nor the confrontation between the Green camp and the Blue camp. The real problem is that the ruling authorities lack any awareness of what it means to govern. The democratic structures that this nation built by means of parliamentary procedure have basically collapsed.
Which is more important? The central government's general budget, or the Organic Law for the Central Election Commission? Actually this is not a question of either/or, how but a question of checks and balances and mediation. A responsible government will always choose to pass a general budget. It will exhaust all legal means to find relief for other deadlocked legislation. But the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) attitude is to allow the general budget to become collateral damage in its effort to kill the Organic Law for the Central Election Commission. It would rather allow local development to come to a halt, than relinquish its monopoly on the appointment of Central Election Commission members. It blames opposition party boycotts for the five month long delay in passing the general budget. It would be more accurate to blame the ruling party for adopting "scorched earth" tactics, deliberately treating the general budget as cannon fodder.
If the Kuomintang version of the Organic Law for the Central Election Commission contains "constitutional violations," then the DPP government should propose a more persuasive version to win over the public and its opponents. But what the people are seeing is the ruling party laying its dirty hands on what is supposed to be an independent election mechanism, and unwilling to let go. Instead it turns around and accuses the the opposition parties, the long-suffering victims of flagrant Central Election Commission injustice, of "barbarism." In fact, any Central Election Commission bills pending within the legislature are merely "potentially" in violation of the constitution, whereas delaying the passage of the general budget by five months is already in violation of the constitution. The DPP is using the Republic of China Consitution, for which it has never shown one iota of respect, as a pretext to prevent the passage of a bill establishing a neutral and unbiased Central Election Commission. Now how funny is that?
According to ruling party reasoning, the Organic Law for the Central Election Commission and the general budget are of of equal importance. The general budget doesn't worry the DPP. What worries the DPP is its magic talisman, the Central Election Commission. Now that is something over which it will never relinquish control. From this perspective, the rumbles within the legislature and the protests outside the legislature are all too easy to understand. Because what the DPP cares about is not the promotion of sound governance, but merely the gaining of partisan electoral advantage.
A look at actual developments confirms this assessment. The Executive Yuan has declared that the budget delay will reduce economic growth by 0.64%, and prevent the the implementation of 70 billion NT in new development. Yet neither the Chen administration nor the DPP have shown the slightest concern, or attempted to negotiate with the political opposition. Chen Shui-bian upped the ante on Welfare Subsidies to Elderly Farmers, as usual. Prime Minister Su traveled to Yunling, Chiayi, and Tainan counties in southern Taiwan, issuing checks exceeding 20 billion NT. So what if the general budget hasn't passed? What does that have to do with them?
In power for seven years, the DPP is still unwilling to face the necessity of consultations and compromise. Its political accomplishments add up to a big zero, and yet it has not learned to respect the parliamentary majority in the legislature. This is the reality behind governmental gridlock and national stagnation. A look at the vicious dog eat dog behavior of the DPP's "Four Princes" and rival factions during the DPP primaries reveals the party's true colors. But what really brings a chill to the heart is that apart from being adept at campaigning, electioneering, and infighting, this political party has completely forgotten its responsibility to rule. This is why the DPP has the effrontery to deny the legislature its right to vote, destroying the very roots of democracy and constitutional government!
What the Chen administration is most adept at is packaging the ruling party's electioneering requirements in the guise of government policies. Any policy that doesn't correspond with what the ruling party needs, may be replaced or abolished. Therefore they can flip-flop on the Suhua Freeway project as election circumstances demand. The demolition of the Losheng Sanatorium can start or stop on a dime. Mainland tourists can suddenly be allowed in or kept out on a whim. The Orwellian "rectification of names" for China Petroleum, the Chunghua Postal Service, and even the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, are nothing more than means of diverting public attention in order to trumpet their "achievements." Can this really satifsy the individual aspirations of the public?
In a democratic nation, elections are merely a means. The end is for the ruling party solve society's problems. But on Taiwan, what the people see every day is endless political rallies and political struggles. Political figures have no sooner finished campaigning for this election, than they begin campaigning for the next. Who has a mind to govern? Chen Shui-bian has forsaken the responsibility of being a leader to the nation as a whole for seven years. The ruling party considers political struggle as its highest priority. What policy on Taiwan is not motivated at its root by selfish partisan interest?
Over the past several years, the DPP has earned its reputation as a party that "knows only how to campaign, not how to govern." It has degenerated into a party that "only worries about campaigning, and not about governing." Over two bills, the Legislative Yuan has enacted a series of world-class political farces. This is Taiwan's democracy in retreat. The reason is our "ruling party" is in reality "a party that doesn't rule."
Original Chinese below:
社論》
國會癱瘓，國家癱瘓：只問選舉，不要治國！
社論
立法院昨天院內院外的雙線對峙，表面上看是一個癱瘓的國會，深一層看，其實是一個癱瘓的國家。
立法院為了總預算和中選會組織條例連續衝撞數月，問題的根源，其實已不在朝小野大或藍綠對峙；真正的問題在主政當局完全缺乏執政意識。這個國家透過國會機制實踐民主的機制，基本上已經崩毀。
中央政府總預算與中選會組織條例，孰重？這其實不是「二選一」的問題，而是如何權衡和折衝的問題。如果是一個負責任的民主政府，一定會選擇以維護總預算為重，對其他法案的僵局則另外窮盡合法手段尋求救濟。但民進黨的態度，卻是寧可讓總預算陪葬，也要卡死中選會條例；寧可地方建設停頓，也不放棄自己壟斷中選會委員的任命特權。總預算延宕五個月未通過，與其說是在野黨杯葛，不如說是執政黨採取焦土戰略，蓄意把總預算當砲灰所致。
如果國民黨版的中選會條例有「違憲之虞」，那麼民進黨政府應設法提出一個更具說服力的版本，爭取民眾和對手的認同。但人們看到的，卻是執政黨把髒手深深伸進這個理應獨立的選舉機構，硬是不肯鬆手，卻還反咬屢因中選會不公而吃盡悶虧的在野黨野蠻。事實上，尚未通過立法的中選會只不過是有違憲「之虞」，而總預算案延宕五個月未能通過卻是「既遂」的違憲；民進黨拿它從來不尊重的中華民國憲法為藉口來阻擋中選會條例，豈不可笑之至？
在執政黨的天平上，中選會條例和總預算居然被放在等量齊觀的位置，也極耐人咀嚼：若非民進黨太不把總預算放在心上，便是中選會對它而言是太珍貴的政治法寶了，一點都不可鬆手。從這個角度看，立院的群毆、院外的群眾包圍，也就變得比較容易理解：因為民進黨在乎的不是施政的推展，它在乎的只是本黨能從中獲取多少選舉利益罷了！
觀察現實情況的發展，也確乎如此。行政院雖宣稱總預算延宕將影響百分之零點六四的經濟成長，使七百億元新興計畫無法進行；但我們看不出扁政府或民進黨對此有何焦慮，亦無意設法調解朝野矛盾。陳水扁照樣對老農津貼喊價加碼，蘇揆南下雲嘉南建設支票一開就是兩百多億；總預算過不過，於他們何有哉？
執政七年，還不肯面對協商妥協之必要；政績零蛋，還學不會尊重國會多數，這就是政府癱瘓、國家停滯的真相。試看民進黨四大天王及各派系在初選中的殘酷撕咬，是如何地顯露了一個政黨的兇狠本色。但真正令人心寒的是，這個政黨除了長於選舉、造勢和鬥爭，已完全不記得自己還有執政的責任。也正因如此，民進黨連國會的「表決機制」也敢悍然剝奪，不啻根本摧毀了民主憲政！
扁政府最厲害的本事，是將一切政策或措施均配合執政黨造勢的需要進行包裝，凡是不符政黨需要的政策，隨時可以抽換廢除。所以，蘇花高可以視選舉情勢反反覆覆，樂生的去留可以忽左忽右，大陸觀光客可以忽開忽停；包括對中油、中華郵政、乃至中正紀念堂的改名，目的也只是在轉移焦點以浮報自己的「業績」罷了，這能滿足民眾什麼獨立的渴望嗎？
在民主國家，選舉是手段，執政黨透過施政為社會大眾解決問題，才是政治的目的。但在台灣，人民每天看到的是無止盡的選舉造勢和政治鬥爭，政治人物忙完了這場選舉，立即開始忙下一場選舉，誰有心施政？試想，陳水扁放棄國家領導人的超然角色已經七年，執政黨既一切以政治鬥爭為首要，台灣還有什麼政策不是從一黨之私出發？
前幾年，民進黨被認為「只會選舉、不會治國」，如今，它更自我退化至「只問選舉，不要治國」。立法院為了兩個法案，幾度上演世界級的政治鬧劇，這是台灣的民主退化。原因在於，我們的執政黨其實是一個「不執政黨」。
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