Liberation from Black Gold: The First Step towards a Healthy Democracy

Liberation from Black Gold: The First Step towards a Healthy Democracy
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
March 6, 2010

The legislative by-elections have just ended. The five cities elections will soon be the focus of public attention. Most observers' attention is focused on the rival Blue and Green political camps, on how the outcome of the elections will affect the waxing and waning of their respective political power. The electoral success of the Blue and Green political parties will indeed have a huge impact on the future of Taiwan. But the impact of election practices on Taiwan's democracy is just as important, if not more important. It too, deserves our close attention.

Local factions dominate Taiwan's electoral politics. Will the results of the recent legislative by-elections result in a change in the rival camps' political fortunes? This deserves closer examination. Under KMT rule, local factions have dominated local elections since the last decade of the previous century. Their influence has even reached the central government level. The greatest impact has been the ascendance of Black Gold electoral politics. The constitution expressly stipulates that "election campaigns may not resort to either threats or bribes." It apparently anticipated money and violence interfering with the election process. This is a vexing political and cultural problem, one that may be difficult to guard against, but which must be overcome.

The Republic of China has undergone two changes in ruling parties. Has Black Gold involvement in the election process really killed off clean politics? What is the extent of underworld involvement in local and central government politics? How much vote-buying is there at the local and central government levels? Some progress has been made in eliminating such influences. But no one is about to express satisfaction with the situation. Black Gold politics is the result of the ruling KMT surrendering to local factions during the previous century. Those who removed the bell from around the cat's neck must put it back. Now that it has regained power during this century, we are of course justified in expecting the KMT to take effective measures. It must prevent local factions from using money and violence to influence the outcome of elections. It must allow the Republic of China to bid farewell to Black Gold politics.

The KMT lost during the recent legislative by-elections in several counties and municipalities. Clearly these losses were related to its refusal to be contaminated by local factions. In the overall development of democracy, winning and losing are fleeting. Upholding justice and standards is forever. The KMT may have lost the elections because it refused to compromise with local factions. But the public applauded its insistence on reforms beneficial to the elimination of Black Gold politics.

The five cities elections are about to begin. This election involves the election of chief executives. Voters are therefore more likely to reject Black Gold politics. The five cities elections will be followed by the legislative elections. Those will be the real litmus test of election reforms on Taiwan. The KMT must stick to its guns. Only then can it rid itself of local factions' negative influence on the central government. KMT election strategists must have the determination to stick to their reforms even if it means defeat at the polls. They must have the wisdom to realize that only by sticking to their guns can they eventually attain victory. Reforms are long overdue. Now is not too late. If it fails to act now however, it may be too late for regrets. It must rally voter support during the four years it is still in power. Corrupt election practices on Taiwan have led to an ineffectual legislature, an unhealthy democracy, and to a vicious cycle of corrupt politics. Only by acting now can the KMT save the day.

Once the KMT makes the decision to part company with local factions, the Democratic Progressive Party will begin to feel the heat. If the KMT refuses to knuckle under, local factions will lose the financial wherewithal to mobilize local connections. They will naturally seek out the KMT's political rivals. Will the DPP adhere to its stated principles? Will it say no to local factions' Black Gold election methods? The answers will determine the future of democracy on Taiwan. The DPP once blasted the KMT's authoritarian Black Gold politics. It rose to power by waving the banner of clean government. But eight years of Chen regime corruption following the first change in ruling parties seriously damaged the DPP's political image.

The Democratic Progressive Party tolerated the Chen Shui-bian family's corruption. Its tolerance for such wrongdoing cannot be blamed on the Chen Shui-bian family alone. How many people in the Green camp were contaminated? How many people refused to be contaminated? It is difficult to give a clear answer. The five cities elections, legislative elections, and presidential election will be held within the next two years. The Democratic Progressive Party wants the voters to return it to power. It has a real chance to do just that. The KMT has deliberately jettisoned local factional politics. Will the DPP embrace such politics, merely for the sake of short term electoral victory? Will it refuse to collude with the criminal underground and its vote-buying practices? The recent legislative by-elections have provided an abundance of alarming clues. Knowledgeable people within the DPP must reclaim the party's soul.

Both the Blue and Green parties must hold their ground. They must not make any concessions to Black Gold factional politics for the sake of short term electoral victories. Only then will democracy on Taiwan have a future.

不受黑金要脅 是健全民主體質第一步
2010-03-06
中國時報

立委補選甫結束，五都選舉立即成為政治輿情的注目焦點，一般的觀察，多偏向以藍綠兩大政治陣營角逐選舉的勝負以及政治實力的消長為著眼點。藍綠政黨選舉成敗固然關係台灣的未來甚鉅，選舉風氣對於台灣民主政治體質的影響，如果不是更為重要，也是同樣重要而值得關心的課題。

此次立委補選結果，與地方派系主宰台灣選舉政治命脈的現象，是否已有扭轉的契機，很有深入思考的價值。從國民黨前一世紀最後十年的執政期間，地方派系主導地方選舉並進入中央層級政治，最大的效應，就是黑金選舉政治的盛行。從憲法明文規定「選舉應嚴禁威脅利誘」來看，似乎早已預示了金錢與暴力介入選舉，已是歷史發展中難以免疫但卻必須克服的政治文化難題。

台灣已歷經兩次政黨輪替，黑金介入選舉的惡質政治文化是否真已弊絕風清？若問地方乃至中央議會黑道混跡的程度，地方與中央層級選舉買票文化殘存的現象如何，就算已經有些進步，但恐怕仍無人敢於提供令人滿意的答案吧！不過，黑金政治既然種因於國民黨在上世紀執政時期屈從或甚利用地方派系的錯誤，解鈴仍須繫鈴人，我們當然就有理由要求國民黨於本世紀重獲執政機會時，以實際而有效的作為，改革地方派系政治運用金錢與暴力影響選舉的惡劣風氣，讓台灣徹底告別黑金政治。

檢視國民黨此次在部分縣市立委補選失利，顯然就與堅持寧敗選也不與地方派系藉用金錢汙染選風妥協的決策有關。從民主政治的總體發展利益而言，勝負是一時的，正道與品質的堅持則是影響久遠的。對於選民大眾而言，國民黨儘管因為不與派系妥協而敗選，還是有益於黑金政治的改革，這毋寧還是該得到掌聲的。

即將揭開序幕的五都選舉，由於是都會行政首長的選舉，都會選民拒絕黑金勢力的汙染能力較為明顯。再下一場的國會選舉，則將是台灣選舉能否真正改革的試金石。國民黨必須繼續堅持原則，才能在中央的層級驅逐地方派系政治的惡質影響。國民黨的選舉操盤者，不但應有即使敗選也要堅持改革的決心，而且應秉持堅持改革就能贏得勝選的智慧與策略，深化早就該做、現在做還來得及、再不做就要噬臍莫及的努力，務必要在四年執政期間，號召選民的支持，將台灣從惡質選舉形成國會功能不彰，形成民主體質不良，形成政治風氣隳敗的惡性循環中，拉抬拯救回來。

國民黨一旦下定決心與地方派系說再見，民進黨的考驗也就將要開始。國民黨不與地方派系妥協，地方派系失去動員地方人脈的金錢來源，一個自然的出路也許就是向另一個政治陣營靠攏，民進黨是否亦能堅持既有的原則，拒絕接受地方派系靠攏的黑金選舉地盤，也就與台灣民主政治的前途息息相關。民進黨當年是靠著批判國民黨的黑金威權政治，撐著清廉的旗號起家。然而在第一次政黨輪替之後，陳水扁政府八年執政的貪腐作風，嚴重毀損了民進黨的執政形象。

其實，民進黨政府容得下陳水扁家族貪腐行徑的藏汙納垢，很難只將之視為陳水扁及其家人的作為，綠營中有多少人曾經受到了汙染，有多少人曾經拒絕汙染，是一個尚未回答清楚的問題。現在五都選舉、立委選舉以及總統選舉在未來兩年之內都要次第到來，民進黨要贏得選民的支持重新執政，並非沒有機會。但是，民進黨會不會為了短期的勝選利益，擁抱國民黨有意擺脫的地方派系政治，會不會拒與黑道或者賄選行徑掛鉤，在這次立委補選的過程中，已經不乏值得觀察與警覺的端倪，很需要民進黨內有意重振黨魂的有識之士有所惕勵。

只有藍綠兩黨都能堅持，絕不因短視的選舉勝負而與黑金派系政治做任何妥協，才能讓台灣的民主政治看到未來。