The Marginalization of Tsai Ing-wen

The Marginalization of Tsai Ing-wen
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 25, 2008

The DPP Central Standing Committee has resolved that the party will participate in the August 30 "One Hundred Day's Roar" protest march. This development has at least three implications for the DPP.

One. The Central Standing Committee maintains that Chen Shui-bian's prosecution is a case of the "Kuomintang and [mainland] China colluding to persecute the DPP and Taiwan." It intends to rationalize its conduct as "Supporting A Bian means Loving Taiwan. Loving Taiwan means Supporting A Bian."

Two. The protest march is being led by pro-independence elements. Rival elements within the Democratic Progressive Party who consider the timing "inopportune," and believe that the party ought to "live to fight another day," are in the minority and on the defensive. This shows that the DPP remains under the sway of pro-independence elements. The DPP did not participate in the August 9 Taiwan church group demonstration and the August 20 Taiwan Solidarity Union demonstration against Ma Ying-jeou. Yet it remains committed to independence and is unable to prevent itself from being hijacked by pro independence elements.

Three. Most importantly, the situation shows that the DPP hyas repudiate Tsai Ing-wen's new ideas and new direction. Tsai Ying-wen's leadership has being marginalized. Tsai Ing-wen has bowed to pressure to participate in the march. This shows that Tsai Ing-wen is unable to lead the DPP. This shows that she and the DPP have already been hijacked by Chen Shui-bian and pro-independence elements.

The most shameful response of the Green Camp and the DPP following the outbreak of the Chen Shui-bian money-laundering scandal, was to feign surprise and shock, to pretend they had suddenly awoken from a dream, and to declare: "Who knew Chen Shui-bian was like this?"

Even Tsai Ing-wen played along. "So the rumors were true!" In fact, Chen's Taiwan Development Corporation scandal, SOGO scandal, State Expenses scandal, long ago exposed Chen Shui-bian's shameless and despicable conduct. Pro-independence forces within the Democratic Progressive Party have long maintained that A Bian was innocent, and argued that "Supporting A Bian means Loving Taiwan. Loving Taiwan means Supporting A Bian." Did they really not know what kind of person Chen Shui-bian was?

Now that Chen Shui-bian's money-laundering scandals have been exposed, the Democratic Progressive Party and pro independence elements are feigning surprise and shock, and acting as if they had suddenly awakened from a dream. Some want him to "vanish from the face of the earth." Some want him to commit hara kiri or drown himself in the ocean. Even Tsai Ing-wen went along with the pretense, saying "So the rumors were true." In fact of course Chen Shui-bian is still the same old Chen Shui-bian he always was. The only difference is some supporters think it's time the DPP changed its tune and disassociated itself from Chen Shui-bian.

Who could have guessed that following a bout of political wrangling, the DPP would again decide to take to the streets on August 30? The "non-mainstream faction" within the DPP which wants to disassociate itself from greed, independence, and Chen Shui-bian has lost the struggle to change the party line. The KMT underwent an internal struggle between "mainstream" and "non-mainstream" factions. Then Party Chairman Lee Teng-hui represented the "mainstream." Tsai Ing-wen by contrast, does not represent the "mainstream." Her direction for the party has been repudiated. Her leadership has been marginalized. She represents the "non-mainstream."

Why is the DPP protesting? For whom is it protesting? The theme of the August 30 protest march is "defending sovereignty, filling bellies, and demanding sunshine." Defending sovereignty has reportedly been changed to "defending democracy." Filling bellies has reportedly been changed to "defending the people's livelihood." Demanding sunshine, i.e., demanding a sunshine policy, was added at the last minute. What we would like to know is, why was "defending sovereignty" changed to "defending democracy?" What was the DPP attempting to evade? Whether Ma Ying-jeou is leaning toward Beijing can be debated. But what grounds to Taiwan independence elements have to demand the "defense of Taiwan's sovereignty?" As for "filling bellies," the Democratic Progressive Party wants blame Taiwan's economic plight on the KMT, which took office only 100 days ago. Shouldn't the DPP take a hard look at its long held policy of "Support A Bian, even if it means starving to death?" As far as "demanding sunshine" is concerned, the least the DPP can do is not spin Chen Shui-bian's prosecution for corruption as "political persecution by the Kuomintang and [mainland] China." The least the DPP can do is revoke Chen Shui-bian's party membership.

Chen Shui-bian has spun his criminal prosecution as "political persecution." The August 30 protest march has already become a "Supporting A Bian means Loving Taiwan. Loving Taiwan means Supporting A Bian" demonstration. The protest march proves two things. One, that Taiwan independence forces have already made a comeback, and two, that Tsai Ing-wen has already been marginalized.

The public on Taiwan already knows the DPP's logic like the back of its hand. The DPP is using "loving Taiwan" as cover for "supporting A Bian." It is using "protesting against Ma" as cover for "supporting independence." Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Marchers might not utter a single slogan in support of A Bian. But they will not be able to conceal their support for A Bian in the guise of "opposition to political persecution." Marchers might not wave a single banner in support of Taiwan independence. But they will not be able to conceal the fact that Taiwan independence elements have hijacked the DPP and Tsai Ing-wen. The mainstream faction consists of Chen Shui-bian and Taiwan independence elements. They may or may not constitute a numerical majority. The non-mainstream faction consists of Tsai Ing-wen and others. They may or may not constitute a numerical minority. The protest march is in fact an arena for Green Camp infighting -- one in which the mainstream faction has already crushed the non-mainstream faction.

This is extremely unfair to Tsai Ing-wen. The DPP has made her chairperson, in name only. It is not helping her achieve her political goals. This is a harsh test for Tsai Ing-wen. The Tsai Ing-wen who will take to the streets on August 30 will not be the real Tsai Ing-wen.

蔡英文的邊緣化與空洞化
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.08.25 03:41 am

民進黨中常會決議，維持參加八三○大遊行。此一發展，對民進黨而言，至少有三項意義：

一、中常會強勢意見認為，陳水扁的案子是「國民黨與中國一起修理民進黨與台灣」，遂又將情勢合理化為「挺扁愛台／愛台挺扁」。

二、此次遊行由獨派主持，民進黨內主張「時機不宜／擇期再戰」的聲音成為弱勢意見，足徵民進黨的主體仍然被獨派盤踞。否則，八月九日台教會及八月二十日台聯皆曾有嗆馬示威，民進黨何以未參加，而如今卻唯獨不能排除獨派的挾持？

三、最重要的是，此一情勢顯示蔡英文欲主張的新理念、新路線已告空洞化，蔡英文的領導地位也告邊緣化。蔡英文向這次大遊行低頭，已不可能「領導」民進黨，而民進黨與蔡英文皆已被扁系與獨派挾持。

陳水扁洗錢案爆發後，綠營及民進黨最可恥的反應是故作「恍然大悟」或「大夢初醒」之狀，而謂：「誰知陳水扁竟然是這樣一個人！」

連蔡英文都說：「過去的傳聞原來是真的！」其實，陳家在台開案、SOGO案、國務機要費案的種種情節，早已將陳水扁貪腐無恥、猥瑣卑鄙的人格暴露無遺，民進黨及獨派卻始終「相信阿扁的清白」，並大玩「挺扁愛台／愛台挺扁」的手法，難道他們當時不知陳水扁是個什麼貨色？

如今，到了陳水扁爆出洗錢醜聞，民進黨及獨派中有些人卻突然故作「恍然大悟／大夢初醒」之狀；有人要他「從這個世界消失」，有人叫他切腹跳海；連蔡英文都說「傳聞原來是真的」。其實，陳水扁依然是那個陳水扁，只是這些改變口氣的人認為，這也許正是民進黨改變戲路、與扁切割的時機。

豈料，經過一番「運作」，八三○還是要上街，民進黨內欲與「貪／獨／扁」切割的「非主流派」，在黨內的路線鬥爭中敗下陣來。昔日國民黨出現「主流／非主流」之爭，黨主席李登輝是「主流派」；但蔡英文如今在黨內卻不是「主流」，她的路線理念空洞化，領導地位邊緣化，她是「非主流」。

為何遊行？為誰遊行？八三○大遊行的主題是：「護主權（已改成護民主？）／顧肚子（改成護民生？）／要陽光（臨時追加的項目）」。試問：顧主權為何要改成顧民主？是為了閃避什麼？馬英九是否傾中當然應接受公評，但台獨若仍然主張「顧台灣國的主權」，請問正當性何在？再說顧肚子，民進黨欲將造成台灣今日經濟困境的責任全部諉諸就職一百天的國民黨之前，是否應先自省過去八年「肚子扁扁／要挺阿扁」的罪愆？至於要陽光，起碼不能把司法訴究陳水扁貪汙說成是「國民黨與中國迫害陳水扁」吧？起碼總該開除陳水扁的黨籍吧？

陳水扁將情勢定性為「政治追殺」，八三○遊行也已演成「挺扁愛台／愛台挺扁」的大遊行，亦是展現台獨東山再起的大遊行，更不啻是宣告蔡英文空洞化與邊緣化的大遊行！

民進黨的邏輯八股，國人早已瞭若指掌。用「愛台」來美化「挺扁」，用「嗆馬」來裝飾「挺獨」；萬變不離其宗，如今更是老狗變不出新把戲。這次大遊行，即使未聞一句挺扁口號，但已不能掩飾「反追殺／反迫害」的擁扁訴求；即使未見一幅台獨旗幟，卻也不能改變民進黨及蔡英文仍受台獨挾持的事實。這場大遊行其實是綠營內鬥的舞台，亦即是台獨及扁系主流派（支持者人數未必居多數），壓倒了蔡英文等非主流派（支持人數未必居少數）的勝利大遊行。

這對蔡英文極不公平，民進黨給了她主席的虛名，卻不能支持她實踐她的理念路線；這對蔡英文更是嚴酷考驗，八三○上了街，蔡英文已非蔡英文！