A Bian is Willing to Split the DPP to Protect Himself

A Bian is Willing to Split the DPP to Protect Himself
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 13, 2008

For members of the Green Camp and the Democratic Progressive Party who still respect democracy, the Chen family money-laundering fiasco is a nightmare from which they cannot awake. When the overseas money-laundering scandal exploded on August 14, the DPP had a chance to make break with A Bian and rehabilitate itself. But the DPP Central Committee's hesitancy and indecisiveness allowed pro-A Bian forces to seize the initiative. A Bian held a series of rallies to garner support. The DPP was unable to stop the bleeding. Worse still, now that A Bian has made his move, the party faces the prospect of a major schism.

Chen Fang-ming is the Director of the Institute of Taiwan Literature at National Chengchi University. He has performed a number of in-depth studies on Taiwan's democracy movement. Chen Fang-ming has expressed regret over Chen Shui-bian's words and deeds on several occasions. When A Bian boasted he would run for president in 2012, Chen Fang-ming said "Chen Shui-bian has gone mad." But he added that having a bunch of lunatics run for president will give the public a chance to repudiate them. Therefore it does not matter if Chen Shui-bian is crazy. "Once the fever breaks, Taiwan can return to normal."

Chen Fang-ming's hope is shared by others concerned about Taiwan's democracy. After all, democratic elections and the rule of law are democracy's last line of defense. Very few DPP defectors have ever succeeded in winning political office. If Chen Shui-bian insists on running, he will not be an exception.

Given the Democratic Progressive Party's record over the past few years, it can hardly afford to be optimistic. President Chen Shui-bian's eight years in office have destroyed the Democratic Progressive Party's core values. Some DPP elders and factions have been affected less than others. But none have been spared entirely. A Bian has painted himself into a corner. But when A Bian fights like a cornered rat, and resorts to any and all means at his disposal, the real loser will be the DPP. That worries many who are concerned about Taiwan's democracy.

Chao Chien-ming is Chen Shui-bian's son-in-law, and a prime suspect in the Taiwan Development Corporation insider trading scandal. During the Chen administration, one scandal has erupted after another, culminating in the overseas money-laundering scandal of August this year. Chen Shui-bian and the Green Camp have a pro forma response to these scandals. One. They admit to minor crimes in order to evade prosecution for major crimes. The DPP and the Green Camp's initial reaction to the overseas money-laundering scandal was to feign outrage and to hurl invectives. Later A Bian mobilized advocates of Taiwan independence to shield himself. Critics inside the party fell silent. A Bian has used this method to ignore the Democratic Progressive Party's calls for clean government and democracy.

In the process, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Green Camp have steadily lowered their moral standards. The most obvious example was on August 14. Chen knew the cat was out of the bag. Therefore he admitted to overseas money-laundering. But he gave it his own spin. He raised the stakes by recruiting advocates of Taiwan independence. He even used such incendiary language as "Mainlanders get to eat rice. Taiwanese get to eat shit." This time, not one DPP heavyweight raised any objections. During the Democratic Progressive Party's anniversary celebration, Party Chairman Tsai Ing-wen did not even dare use the relatively moderate term, "the post-Chen era." The Democratic Progressive Party Committee for Clean Government's feeble response was, "If Chen is found guilty in the first instance, his party membership will be revoked."

The DPP Central Committee's feebleness has allowed A Bian to gain the upper hand. The crowds who showed up at Chen's rallies were sparse. But more than a few DPP officials competed among themselves for their approval. A Bian's words and deeds have become increasingly outrageous. Hsu Hsin-liang's simple remark, "A Bian has become a liability," provoked massive attacks. Wang Tuoh could not resist criticizing the DPP, saying that "The party's problem is it values friendship over truth, and has forgotten its core values." Not only did the mob attack him, so did key DPP players such as Chen Tang-shan.

A Bian has exploited internal grievances and next year's County Magistrate and City Mayoral Elections to encourage factional struggles within the DPP, thereby protecting himself. Tsai Ing-wen must cope with a factional balance of terror. Despite her systematic efforts, she has missed the boat. For the sake of next year's County and Municipal Elections, Tsai must ensure unity within the Democratic Progressive Party. But A Bian has no qualms about destroying the DPP. To save himself, A Bian is willing to risk splitting the DPP in two.

Chen Shui-bian is out of office and in disgrace. Yet he is still able to manipulate the DPP. The only reason being he still wields money and power. The myth of Taiwanese nation-building is A Bian's all powerful talisman. Taiwan independence elders are only too willing to cover for Chen Shui-bian. Two years ago, during the State Affairs Fund scandal, Taiwan independence advocates urged A Bian must not to relinquish his right to criminal immunity. When members of the DPP demanded serious soul-searching, Taiwan independence advocates denounced them as "Eleven Brigands selling out Taiwan." Taiwan independence advocates' supported A Bian uncritically. They ignored right and wrong. Ironically A Bian is repaying them by embezzling state funds, by laundering money, and by dressing up his ill-gotten gains as a "Taiwan Independence Fund." Taiwanese nation-building has become A Bian's "get out of jail free card." It has become his license to launder money. Taiwanese nation-building has become a mere tool. Taiwanese nation-building has been utterly discredited.

Former DPP Chairman Hsu Hsin-liang astutely noted that KMT incompetence has led to a swift decline in the ruling KMT's approval ratings. Ironically, this has led to an equally swift decline in the DPP's willingness to engage in necessary soul-searching. A Bian is a tar baby. The DPP is stuck to him, unable to extricate itself. The biggest victim in the short term is the Democratic Progressive Party. The DPP has long billed itself as the party of clean government and Taiwanese nativism. A Bian has cast a shadow over that image. The DPP is unable to re-position itself because it has lost its moral compass. Therefore no matter how inept the KMT's rule, it can nevertheless win lying down. If in the long run, the Democratic Progressive Party goes down with A Bian, so will Taiwan's democracy. This is the gravest concern of all.

中時電子報
中國時報 　2008.10.13
為自保 扁已不惜讓民進黨分裂
中時社論

民進黨或綠營人士中，只要還有一點民主理念的，面對扁洗錢案這一齣鬧劇，可能會覺得這是一場看不到盡頭的惡夢；八月十四日洗錢案爆發以來，民進黨本來有機會與扁切割，重建民進黨清廉價值，但是，由於民進黨中央的遲疑未決，再度讓扁取得先機。在扁一系列取暖之旅造勢後，民進黨現在面臨的，已不是能否止血停損，而是在扁的撥弄後，黨可能因而分裂的重大危機。

對台灣民主運動涉獵甚深的政大台灣文學研究所所長陳芳明，對扁近來言行數次表示痛心，尤其陳水扁嗆聲二○一二年要參選總統，陳芳明直言，「阿扁已經生病了。」但是，他也樂觀地說，寧願有一群瘋子出來參選，只有參選，民意才能把他否決掉，所以讓陳水扁發瘋不要緊，「痲疹出掉了，台灣就正常了。」

陳芳明的願望，也是很多關切台灣民主人士的期待；畢竟，除了司法，選舉才是政治良窳的最後把關者。再從民進黨的角度觀之，過去，凡是離開民進黨自行參選者，幾無成功前例，陳水扁若堅持參選，也不會例外。

但是，觀諸民進黨這幾年表現，卻無法樂觀以待。因為，陳水扁在八年總統任內，已將民進黨所有價值破壞怠盡，黨內諸大老及各派系，受牽連狀況雖有程度之別，但可以說是無一倖免。因此，現在的情勢是：扁雖然是作繭自縛，但是當扁不擇手段、困獸猶鬥，最後是否賠上整個民進黨，才是關心台灣民主的人士所擔憂的。

自扁女婿趙建銘爆發台開內線交易案以來，一直到今年八月爆發的海外洗錢案，面對接連不斷的醜聞，阿扁及綠營的回應，已有一套固定模式。首先，扁先避重就輕認錯，民進黨及綠營一開始則是震驚並且強烈批評；但是接下來，扁再援引極獨力量自保，黨內人士逐漸噤聲。阿扁用這一套模式，將民進黨的清廉、民主原則當做危機處理，屢試不爽，數次安然過關。

在這樣的過程中，民進黨及綠營逐步降低道德標準。最明顯的例子是，八月十四日扁知紙已包不住火、承認洗錢到海外後，他故技重施，不但援引極獨力量，而且變本加厲，連「外省人吃米、台灣人吃屎」這樣極度挑撥的不堪言詞都出口。但是這一次，民進黨內幾乎未見重量級人士提出質疑，民進黨黨慶活動中，黨主席蔡英文連「扁時代已結束」這樣溫和的話都不敢出口，而民進黨廉政委員會在洗錢案爆發兩月後，才軟弱地決定「扁一審有罪就除名」。

民進黨中央的軟弱已讓扁取得優勢，一系列「取暖之旅」群眾也許不多，卻有不少現任公職人員爭相站台；扁言行愈來愈離譜，許信良一句「扁已成壞帳」，卻引來群眾攻擊；而當王拓再也忍不住質疑民進黨「只問情義、不問是非，忘了核心價值，是黨的重大危機」，可不只是群眾攻訐他，連民進黨要角陳唐山都反擊。

真實的狀況是，扁利用民進黨內部恩怨及明年縣市長提名之爭，以發動派系鬥爭來要脅自保；蔡英文面臨派系恐怖平衡，雖步步為營卻逐漸失去先機。面對明年底縣市長選舉，蔡要營造民進黨團結氣氛；但是，扁為了自保卻不惜玉石俱焚，讓民進黨陷入分裂危機。

阿扁之所以能在下台而且聲敗名裂之際，繼續操縱民進黨，說穿了，不外錢與權。但更關鍵的是，扁以建國神話當做保命符，獨派大老也都樂意包庇陳水扁。兩年前國務費案，獨派倡議扁不可放棄刑事豁免權；當民進黨內有反省之議，獨派痛批民進黨十一寇賣台。對於獨派如此不問是非的支持，最諷刺的是，扁的回報竟是將貪汙洗錢贓款包裝成「台獨建國基金」。至此，台獨建國的理想竟成為扁洗錢的護身符，所謂的獨立建國理想不只是被工具化，更是被徹底汙名化。

對民進黨的現狀，民進黨前主席許信良有一番深刻的解讀。他指出，正由於國民黨執政能力太差，太快失去民意，也導致民進黨失去反省的動能；坦白說，民進黨到現在還陷在扁案泥淖中無法自拔，短期內最大受害者絕對是民進黨，因為無論是清廉還是「愛鄉土」的理想，在扁案的陰影下，民進黨都不可能重新定位。面對一個失去方向的民進黨，國民黨執政績效再差，躺著也能勝選。但長期而言，民進黨若和扁一起向下沉淪，危及的卻是台灣的民主水平，這才是最令人擔憂的。