The Control Yuan Should Start By Investigating the General Budget

The Control Yuan Should Start By Investigating the General Budget
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 1, 2008

The Control Yuan, which has been in limbo for three and a half years, resumes operation today. Will Control Yuan officials be able to bring both high and low-ranking officials to justice? Are Control Yuan President Wang Chien-hsuan's teeth as sharp as legend has it? We will know soon enough. For the moment, the best touchstone may be the Chen administration's string of scandals. The Bureau of Audit has just completed its final audit of the central government's accounts. The Chen Shui-bian administration's fiscal extravagance, abuse of power, and misappropriation of funds, have left the public shocked and incredulous. Who should answer for this? We leave that to the new batch of Control Yuan officials. We hope they will see that justice is done.

The Ministry of Audit has released its 2007 report on the Chen Shui-bian administration. The Chen administration accumulated 800 billion in debt in five years. Most frightening of all, the central government took the lead in violating the law by illegally diverting funds. Many projects that had been approved simply could not be implemented. The result was holes everywhere. The arms dealer Taiwan Goal is accused of "sabotaging the military and the government, violating military orders, and undermining the separation of authority in the arms procurement process." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is accused of mishandling the PNG case and other foreign aid cases, of "lacking risk controls" and of "misappropriating funds." The Government Information Office PR campaigns "made illegal use of the budget." The Ministry of Education's campaign to rename the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall made use of funds "without any legal basis."

The aforementioned politically-oriented cases have become the focus of public attention. In addition, the Bureau of Audit report mentioned flood control projects which immediately impact public safety. The Chen Shui-bian administration implemented only 60% of the budget. It implemented less than 50% of the budget for groundwater controls. It implemented only 16% of the budget for the flood control project planning. Its reservoir dredging was counterproductive. The more it dredged, the more it silted the reservoirs. Over 95% of its water treatment projects fell behind schedule or were halted altogether. Most outrageous of all were flood detention pond projects which featured pavilions and hiking trails, items diametrically opposed to the objective of flood control. In addition, the Program for Promoting Academic Excellence in Universities program was reduced to a meaningless, egalitarian "Every School is Above Average" award. The Council for Cultural Planning's budget for the construction of the Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Arts was used to fund an arts festival. The Bureau of Audit has also submitted this case to the Control Yuan for investigation.

The DPP has expressed no shame whatsoever for the mess it left behind. Instead, it immediately launched a counterattack. It blasted the imminent prosecution of Chen administration malfeasance as "KMT dirty tricks." It alleged that its only motive was to draw attention away from the Ma administration's "inept disaster relief." Green Camp legislators alleged that the Control Yuan would become a tool of a Ma administration campaign to "liquidate and persecute the Green Camp." Is this the case? Absolutely not.

The DPP's perspective is the traditional "Blue vs. Green Power Struggle" perspective. According to the DPP's logic, national policy is either Blue or Green, it is never right or wrong. Forget the Rule of Law, because there is no such thing. The Chen Shui-bian government did nothing but stonewall for eight long years. It refused to listen to the views of either the political opposition or the general public. It refused to respect the nation's system of checks and balances or external oversight. Taiwan suffered a form of political autism and regression. The crux of the problem was the DPP's total dependence upon Pan Green Political Correctness. Pan Green Political Correctness permitted the DPP to get away with anything. This eventually led to the DPP's self-destruction. The result was government paralysis and the undermining of the nation's values. The current change in ruling parties proves that the public has rejected the "It's Either Blue or Green" premise, but instead looks to the return of right and wrong. Is the DPP so obtuse it still doesn't get it?

For the past eight years, the government has been a one-man show. Chen Shui-bian's word was the last word. All dissent was eliminated. The Bureau of Audit occasionally dared to tell the truth. But the Control Yuan had been put in limbo. Thereofore no matter how hard they tried, all they could do was talk. Constitutionally speaking, the Legislative Yuan, Executive Yuan, and Control Yuan are responsible for the government's budget. These three divisions of government are the gatekeepers, in that order. Say the Legislative Yuan takes a dive. Say the Executive Yuan follows suit with wanton abuse of power and extravagance. If the Control Yuan cannot hold the line, then the public can only await the deluge. If people do not want to become slaves to government debt, they must support the Control Yuan in its investigation of corrupt officials who abuse their power, and demand that they bear responsibility.

Without Control Yuan members performing follow-up investigations, the Bureau of Audit reports will be nothing more than pages filled with numbers. No official will pay the price for page after page of outrageous acts. Pan Blue legislators have defaulted on their responsibility to check Pan Green malfeasance. This has encouraged executive branch fearlessness. During eight years of Chen Shui-bian rule, their fearlessness reached a lawless extreme. Officials consciously violated the law. They did whatever they felt like. Nothing could be done about their behavior before the change in ruling parties. But if after the change in ruling parties officials continue to get off scot-free, how can we establish a responsible and ethical officialdom?

The Bureau of Audit accounts are merely the tip of the iceberg. The larger story is absurd beyond belief. Who dug us into this five year, 800 billion financial hole? Control Yuan officials must complete an in-depth investigation. Those responsible must be brought to justice.

監察院何妨就從這本總決算書查起？
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.08.01 02:59 am

停擺三年半的監察院今起恢復運作。御史大夫打虎、拍蠅的技能是否了得，王建?的虎牙是否如傳說中的銳利，一試即知。眼前最好的試金石，當推審計部甫完成的中央政府總決算審核，扁政府對預算的無度揮霍及濫權挪用，讓人怵目驚心；其間責任誰屬，就請新科監委們主持公道吧！

看審計部公布的扁政府九十六年總決算報告，除了五年多出八千億的債務，最可怕的是中央不斷帶頭違法挪用預算，許多計畫空有想像卻無力執行，最後留下了處處窟窿。其中，鐽震案被指為「破壞軍政、軍令及軍備三權分工的組織機制」，外交部處理巴紐及其他金援案被指為「缺乏風險控管」及「挪用經費」，新聞局的入聯宣傳案是「預算執行不符法制」，教育部主導的中正紀念堂更名案則是預算支用「於法無據」。

除了上述備受矚目的「政治案件」外，審計部的報告也指出，諸如與人民安全息息相關的治水任務，扁政府預算執行率僅達六成，整治地下水績效不及目標的五成，待規劃治水案件完成率僅一成六，水庫清淤「愈清愈淤」，水系治理工程更有九成五進度落後或停頓。尤其荒唐的是，有些地方的滯洪池工程卻在興建涼亭、步道，與治水目標南轅北轍。此外，大學卓越計畫淪為「校校有獎」的平均主義，文建會執行衛武營藝文中心等之興建，經費竟被移作藝文節慶活動之用，也遭審計部移送監院調查。

然而，對於這通篇爛帳，民進黨非僅未表示絲毫的慚愧，反立即發動反擊，痛批這是國民黨的「牽拖」奧步，目的在轉移馬政府「救災不力」的焦點。綠營立委並質疑，監院將變成馬政府「清算」、「打綠」的工具。果真如此？當然不是！

民進黨的立場，是傳統的藍綠鬥爭論；在這項邏輯底下，國家大政非藍即綠，沒有是非黑白可言，也不必談論法治規範。扁政府八年一味硬拗，不僅拒絕傾聽在野及社會意見，甚至拒絕政府內部的制衡及監督，導致台灣的閉關和衰退。其中癥結，正是民進黨自恃綠色神主牌而自我沉淪，結果不僅癱瘓了政府效能，也破壞了國家的價值觀。這次政黨輪替，證明民眾已經厭棄「唯藍綠論」，希望回歸是非，民進黨難道還沒認清楚這個形勢嗎？

試想，過去八年，整個政府體系在陳水扁操控下變成一言堂，所有雜音均遭滅除；就算審計部還偶爾敢表述實話，但在監委長期懸缺下，其針砭苦心最後也只能徒託空言。事實上，看國家的憲政設計，立法、行政、監察分別擔負政府預算的前、中、後三段的把關工作，如果立法那端先放了水，在行政這關又恣意濫權揮霍，接下來的監察審計若不能守住決算大關，人民恐怕只能坐待被潰堤的政府財政給滅頂了。如果民眾不想變成政府債務的奴婢，一定要支持監察體系展開追查，將那些違法濫權的貪官惡吏揪出來，要求他們負起責任。

如果沒有監委的後續調查，審計部的決算報告只是一本寫滿數字的公文書而已，不會有官員為這滿紙令人怵目的荒唐行徑付出代價。長期以來，由於監委的自我限縮，養成了行政部門對於自己的踰矩作為有恃無恐的心態。這在扁政府八年更是發揮到極致，目無法紀者有之，刻意踐踏綱紀、一意孤行者更不乏其人。這些惡行，若在政黨輪替前拿它無可奈何，在政黨輪替後若又以追究不易而輕輕放過，那麼台灣的吏治、官箴及責任倫理要如何建立？

僅看審計部決算書露出的一隅，荒謬的故事已多到難以言喻。五年八千億的財政窟窿，是誰挖出來的？請監委諸公務必要深入追查，直至找到應該負責的人為止！