The Pig Snout Plebiscite: The Plebiscite to Join the UN Self-destructs

The Pig Snout Plebiscite: The Plebiscite to Join the UN Self-destructs
United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 24, 2007

Annette Lu noted that the logo for the Plebiscite to Join the UN campaign looks remarkably like a pig's snout. As a result some people began referring to the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" as the "Pig Snout Plebiscite."

Superficially, it would seem that Chen Shui-bian has successfully demagogued the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" issue. But because the campaign has been conducted in an uncivilized, unconstitutional, illegal, and anti-democratic manner that violates human rights, he has undercut its legitimacy and hastened its demise. The political image of the Plebiscite to Join the UN has been badly tarnished.

Chen Shui-bian should beware of overkill, i.e., a promotional effort that produces diminishing returns because it repels rather than attracts. He should not provoke political moderates into snorting contemptuously: "Pig Snout Plebiscite!"

The Plebiscite to Join the UN began with a positive image. It gave vent to accumulated public frustration. It championed the rights and interests of citizens of the ROC on Taiwan. These were among the plebiscite's selling points. But the Chen regime has resorted to means that cannot be justified. It has ordered the post office to stamp "Join the UN" slogans on private correspondence. It has coerced civil servants to participate in petition drives. It has embezzled public funds to underwrite "Join the UN" campaign activities. It has printed "Join the UN" slogans on sales slips. It intends to "package deal" the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" with the 2008 Presidential Election It intends to force voters to accept plebisite ballots along with presidential election ballots, whether they want them or not. It is violating the Rule of Law and the principle of administrative neutrality. Even the "Join the UN Torch Relay" has been reduced to a "Come and get me if you have the guts!" show of bravado. These political excesses clearly violate Article 13 of the Referendum Act, which states: "Unless prescribed by this Act, no administrative entity may in any form, carry out a referendum or commission any other organization to carry out a referendum on any topic, and may not draw upon any funds or use government employess at any level to do so." The ruling DPP has turned the system upside down and demonstrated its utter contempt for constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.

Chen Shui-bian needs to realize that if the "Join the UN" campaign peaks too soon, by the time the presidential election rolls around five months from now, any initial thrill from the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" will have died down. The public may then begin to realize the extent of the DPP's violations of the constitution, of the law, of democratic norms, and of human rights. The public may begin to see through its lawlessness and its perversions of the truth. On election day, moderate voters may dismiss the highly touted "Plebiscite to Join the UN" as nothing more than a "Pig Snout Plebiscite."

Chen Shui-bian said that "Nothing bad will happen merely because we hold his 'Plebiscite to Join the UN'." In other words, no matter what the result of the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" might be, Taiwan won't gain membership in the UN, nor will a "Nation of Taiwan" be born. Actually, even though we have yet to hold a "Plebiscite to Join the UN," can we really say that "Nothing bad has happened?" Actually a great deal has happened. A lawless government has violated the Rule of Law and the principle of administrative neutrality. Something very bad indeed has happened.

For Chen Shui-bian to exploit the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" as shamelessly as he has, may cost him more than it is worth. The "Plebiscite to Join the UN" campaign is merely a means of linking certain issues with the presidential election. But the Democratic Progressive Party has violated the constitution and broken the law. Will rational voters dare cast their ballots for a political party with no respect for consitutionalism and the Rule of Law? The "Plebiscite to Join the UN" may well have awakened moderate centrist voters. It may motivate them to cast a cold and rational eye on the perils of continued DPP rule.

Chen Shui-bian wants to "package deal" the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" to "Taiwanese Pathos" and "Taiwanese Consciousness." It wants to bolster support for the Democratic Progressive Party during the presidential election. But political moderates may be turned off by the manipulative methods being used. They may see through the Democratic Progressive Party's hypocrisy and lawlessness. They may decide they have no reason to vote for a Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate again. Chen Shui-bian, beware, lest the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" either evaporates or changes into something ugly before our eyes.

The "Plebiscite to Join the UN" is a farce. The sequence of events should have been: The Democratic Progressive Party proposes a "Plebiscite to Join the UN" -> The voters give their approval -> The government formulates a policy -> The government proposes a "Plebiscite to Join the UN" before the United Nations General Assembly. This procedure has been turned on its head: "The government proposed a "Plebiscite to Join the UN under the Name Taiwan" before the United Nations General Assembly -> The United Nations General Assembly rejected it -> The government violated the constitution and the law promoting a "Plebiscite to Join the UN under the Name Taiwan" -> On March 22 of next year the government will hold a "Plebiscite to Join the UN under the Name Taiwan." The inversion of the proper procedure, from beginning to end, shows that Chen Shui-bian never had any intention in of "Joining the UN." He merely wanted to use the feelings of victimization engendered by the inability to join the UN to destroy the constitution, the law, and the nation. The cost be damned.

Chen Shui-bian and Democratic Progressive Party need to pay attention. The moral legitimacy of the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" has been undermined. The political image of the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" has been tarnished. If political moderates see the Democratic Progressive Party behaving lawlessly while promoting the "Plebiscite to Join the UN," destroying the law and destroying the country, will they dare to vote for the Democratic Progressive Party during the presidential election?

The Democratic Progressive Party demands the holding of a "Plebiscite to Join the UN under the Name Taiwan," even though it knows that such a plebiscite will never result in UN membership. What are moderate voters to conclude, except that the Democratic Progressive Party has no respect for law and order? What are they to conclude? Other than that the DPP, which purports to "love Taiwan," is determined to destroy Taiwan?

豬鼻公投：入聯公投正當性的自我解構
【聯合報╱社論】
2007.10.24 03:47 am

呂秀蓮說：入聯公投的logo像個豬鼻子，於是有人調侃「入聯公投」是「豬鼻公投」。

從表象上看，陳水扁將入聯公投炒得愈來愈熱，但是由於炒作手法不斷出現違憲、違法、反民主、反人權、反文明的爭議，已使入聯公投的正當性漸趨自我解構，入聯公投的政治形象亦日漸自我醜化。

陳水扁應知「過猶不及，莫為已甚」，勿將入聯公投搞成遭中間選民「嗤之以鼻」的「豬鼻公投」。

入聯公投原有正面形象，發抒民間積鬱，主張台灣權益等，這些皆是入聯公投的賣點。但是，搞到如今這種不擇手段的地步，強令郵局在私人信件上加蓋入聯戳記、動員公務員強拉連署、盜用大筆公帑挹注入聯活動、發票上加印入聯標語、妄將「公投綁大選」採「一階段領投票」、違反「依法行政」、違反「行政中立」，甚至今日起跑的「入聯聖火」接力路跑也一度出現「好膽來抓」的爭議；這些走火入魔的動作，非但明白違反公投法第十三條「行政機關不得以任何形式動用任何經費或調用各級人員辦理公投事項」，就憲政法治而言，更簡直已經到了倒行逆施、無法無天的境地。

陳水扁應有警覺，一鼓作氣，再而衰，三而竭；如今距總統大選還有五個月，等到入聯公投在表象上的絢麗煙霧逐漸散去，民眾或許漸將察覺其中違憲、違法、反民主、反人權的實體，洞燭其無法無天、倒行逆施的真相；屆時，冠冕堂皇的「入聯公投」，恐怕就會變成被中間選民「嗤之以鼻」的「豬鼻公投」。

陳水扁說，「入聯公投以後什麼也不會發生」。此話無誤，不論公投結果如何，皆不可能「入聯」，「台灣國」亦不可能誕生。但是，如今雖然尚未公投，難道真的什麼事都不曾「發生」嗎？其實已經「發生」了一個無法無天的政府，違反「依法行政」、違反「行政中立」，難道這還是「什麼事都不會發生」？

陳水扁將入聯公投玩到這種無法無天的地步，恐怕會有本末倒置、因小失大的風險。因為，公投畢竟是「綁」大選的手段，但如今將公投玩到這種違憲違法、無法無天的地步，難道能叫理智的中間選民還敢再把票投給民進黨這種違憲違法、無法無天的政府嗎？公投火熱，可能反而喚醒了中間選民的冷靜與理智。

陳水扁想用「入聯公投」，綁住選民的「台灣悲情」與「台灣意識」，在總統大選中支持民進黨；但是，中間選民卻可能從「入聯公投」的醜惡操作中，更加看清民進黨的虛偽奸巧與無法無天，則總統大選即無再選民進黨的理由。陳水扁應仔細拿捏：勿使「入聯公投」的正當性如冰銷雪融般地自我解構，亦勿使「入聯公投」急轉直下地自我醜化。

其實，這場入聯公投根本是一場鬧劇。其原本應有的運動流程是：「民進黨提入聯公投→全民公投通過→政府據以形成政策→政府向聯大提出『以台灣名義入聯』」；但是，如今這個運動流程已本末顛倒：「政府已向聯大聲請『以台灣名義入聯』→聯大已否決→政府違法違憲推動『台灣入聯公投』→明年三月二十二日『公投以台灣名義入聯』」。從這個始末顛倒的程序即可看出，陳水扁根本意不在「入聯」，而只是要玩弄「入不了聯合國」的悲情與挫折感。毀憲、毀法、毀國，在所不惜。

陳水扁及民進黨必須注意：「入聯公投」的正當性正逐漸自我解構，「入聯公投」的政治形象亦日漸自我醜化；只要中間選民看出民進黨操作「入聯公投」的無法無天，毀法毀國，難道還敢在總統大選中選民進黨嗎？

中間選民此時的思考是：這究竟是一個主張「入聯什麼事都不會發生」的民進黨，還是一個無法無天的民進黨？這究竟是一個「愛台灣」的民進黨，還是一個毀法毀國的民進黨？