KMT Chops Heads, Boldly Moves Forward

KMT Chops Heads, Boldly Moves Forward
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 30, 2010

"Voting for rival candidates is tantamount to betraying the party!" The KMT Disciplinary Committee has established an historic precedent. All ten KMT city council members who voted for rival candidates during the Tainan City Government Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections will have their party membership revoked. Party Secretary-General King Pu-tsung delivered a solemn speech. The KMT chopped heads even though it was left with only three seats. It was virtually starting from scratch. But the KMT showed its determination, and administered discipline. It changed the image of the party. For this it has earned our respect.

Local politics on Taiwan is complex. Unless one resorts to extraordinary, virtually revolutionary measures, the problems that dog local politics cannot be corrected. During the Chiang Ching-kuo era, when the government encountered deeply entrenched local interests, its attitude was "out of sight, out of mind." But after all, it was an authoritarian era. The central government could impose draconian punishments. Local factions dared not engage in official/triad collusion. During Lee Teng-hui's reign, he wooed local factions. This enabled him to retain power for 12 years. He left behind him a legacy of Black Gold, and contributed to the KMT's loss of power.

Pandering to local factions is the most expedient means of clinging to power. But it is also the costliest means of clinging to power. During the 20 years since martial law was lifted, local politics has undergone rapid degeneration. City and county council members carry illegal firearms, engage in illicit sexual conduct, and control local gambling. Those who shield the local sex industry from prosecution are given carte blanche. Prosecutors and police are all on the same page. Violators can neither be apprehended nor prosecuted.

The Democratic Progressive Party ruled for eight years. Chen Shui-bian paid lip service to higher standards of conduct. But in practice he played the same old game as Lee Teng-hui. If anything, he was worse. Every time an election rolled around, Chen Shui-bian made a personal appearance. He paid secret visits to local triad leaders and party bosses. When the president himself is busy glad-handing triad bosses, who is going to have the guts to prosecute these people?

Each time a city or county council election rolled around, bribery was rampant. Votes sold for several million NT. Candidates paid huge bribes for city or county council speaker positions. What did the winners do upon being elected? Collect their salaries and go on vacation? Hardly. Council members sell their votes. As they move about the council chambers, they can hardly defy orders handed down by Black Gold council speakers. City and county councils have become the biggest gangs of all. They can exert pressure on officials through both the government and through triads. Can any local official hoping to avoid trouble defy them? Eventually city and county governments, overtly or covertly, will be compelled to award local elective officials infrastructure contracts, and even lobbying commissions.

When political parties surrender to local factions for the sake of votes, local politics is plunged into darkness. Even more frightening, once these local factions grow in strength, they swiftly infiltrate the central government. Standards for legislators have declined precipitously over the past 20 years. Democracy on Taiwan has become mired in a vicious cycle, unable to extricate itself.

For these local elected officials, selfish interest trumps all. In their eyes, political parties do not exist. To them, "party discipline" is a joke. Never mind party spirit and party ethics. Under democracy, the concept of "draconian party discipline" may come across as something out of ancient history. But respect for discipline is a fundamental truth. Today, an individual might sell his vote for selfish gain. Tomorrow he might sell out the dignity of his party for even larger gains. Personal integrity for such individuals is a foreign concept.

In Tainan, the KMT has been in the opposition for some time. This time, it has sharpened its axes. It has, in one fell swoop, revoked the party membership of over 10 city council members. This has left the KMT even weaker in Tainan than before. But as the saying goes, "three's a crowd." As long as the three remaining KMT members are sufficiently professional, and have enough heart, they can still play a role in the municipal government. At least when factional disputes arise in the future, they will have nothing to with the KMT. The DPP has implemented "total government" in Tainan. Whether the DPP can rid itself of its negative image depends on its determination.

The KMT has severely punished 10 city council members. King Pu-tsung explained. Tainan City clearly stipulates that when city council members cast their votes, "their political allegiances must be clear, if their party has disciplinary measures, they must be imposed." Among the 10 KMT city council members, seven voted for independents. Only three voted for the DPP. But it was impossible to determine which three voted for the DPP. Although the other seven did not betray the party to the same degree, they had to be treated equally. Those who voted for the DPP betrayed the party. Those who voted for a controversial independent, may have done so for personal financial motives. Did vote-buying figure in the recent five cities elections? Why have prosecutors remained silent?

The KMT is the most inclusive political party on Taiwan. But being inclusive does not mean condoning betrayal. In particular, one cannot condone displaying the party colors even while engaging in illicit quid pro quo. Some city council members also voted for political opponents in the Taipei City Government Deputy Speaker election. But because the KMT failed to take action in advance, verifying the facts afterward was difficult. Strict party discipline must not lead to miscarriages of justice. King Pu-tsung asked the KMT leadership, the KMT council caucus, and the party, to "engage in soul searching." In fact, the KMT leadership, the KMT council caucus, and even the party, know perfectly well which council members voted for rival candidates. If the guilty parties remain unrepentant, and fail to engage in soul-searching, such rotten apples should not remain in the barrel.

A nation has its national laws. A party has its party discipline. The purpose of political parties is not merely to win elections. It is to serve the public after winning elections. How can those who seek selfish advantage or engage in wrongdoing represent the people? During the five cities elections, the KMT received fewer votes than the DPP. For the KMT, there is no turning back. It has taken a bold step. It has gotten a fresh start and seized the initiative. It has taken the first step in partisan competition, not just during election season, but in the day to day performance of its duties. Only by emancipating itself from election pressures, can it stand tall, and win respect. Otherwise, even if it wins elections, and attains high office, it will still be ashamed to face the nation.

國民黨大刀出鍘 勇敢邁出一大步
2010-12-30 中國時報

「跑票形同叛黨！」國民黨中央考紀會對台南市議會正副議長選舉跑票事件，史無前例地，將十位黨籍議員全部開除之後，黨秘書長金溥聰發表嚴正談話。盡管自此一鍘，國民黨在大台南議員僅餘三席，形同「歸零」，但完全展現國民黨整飭紀律、端正黨形象的決心和魄力，值得喝采。

台灣地方政治生態與利益糾葛的複雜，不以革命之非常手段，不足以導正。蔣經國時代，對盤根錯節的地方利益，眼不見為淨；然終究是威權時代，整肅流氓手段嚴厲，地方派系不敢膽大妄為到黑白掛勾的地步。李登輝時代，對地方派系曲意拉攏，維護了十二年執政政權，卻留下黑金罵名，並因此讓國民黨失去政權。

拉攏派系是最簡單的方法，卻也是代價最大的方法。解嚴廿多年，地方議會生態愈益惡化，地方議員身擁黑槍，聲色犬馬，把持地方賭盤，為地方色情行業圍事者，所在多有；嚴重者甚至檢警調都同聲出氣，抓不到，更辦不了。

民進黨執政八年，陳水扁即使以向上提昇為號召，但玩的是和李登輝一模一樣的老把戲，甚至猶有過之；每到大選，陳水扁御駕親征，密訪的就是地方組頭大樁腳，以總統之尊與組頭老大攜手言歡，誰還敢辦人？

每到議會改選，必傳賄選之聲，每票以數百萬起跳，撒重金以當選的議長，當選後能憑議長薪資度日嗎？拿錢投票的議員，進出議會，能不以黑金議長之命是從嗎？議會成為最大幫派，挾黑白勢力以施壓，哪個縣市首長能不虛與委蛇，以求施政順暢？最後各縣市政府明的暗的，只能給與地方民代各種地方建設、乃至人事關說的配額。

政黨為選票故，妥協於地方惡勢力的結果，就是讓地方生態永無見天日之時；更可怕的是這樣的地方勢力，坐大之後，就直上中央，國會素質因此在這廿年之間，急遽下滑，台灣民主政治陷入難以自拔的惡性循環。

對這些利益至上的地方民代而言，眼中根本就無政黨，「黨紀」像個笑話，遑論黨魂、黨德。民主時代，「嚴肅黨紀」彷彿是上古史，但講究紀律是做人的最基本道理，既身為團體的一份子，今日為利益賣掉一張票，明日就能為更大的利益賣掉政黨的尊嚴；因為他們不懂什麼是做人的格調。

國民黨在大台南在野已久，這次大刀出鍘，一舉開除十席議員，讓國民黨在台南更處弱勢。但是，三人成眾，只要三席議員夠專業、夠用心，還是可以發揮監督市政之力。至少未來在大台南凡與利益糾葛之事，俱與國民黨無涉。在大台南完全執政的民進黨，能不能擺脫形象爭議，就得看民進黨的決心了。

國民黨嚴厲處分台南十位議員，金溥聰說明，當初台南市已白紙寫黑字要求議員票投自己，「政治上要清清楚楚，有黨紀就一定要執行。」雖然十位議員中，七位投給無黨籍，只有三票投給民進黨，但無法查明到底是哪三人，盡管「叛黨」程度有別，只能一視同仁。投給民進黨是叛黨，投給極具形象爭議的無黨籍，則不只是政黨壁壘的問題，背後恐怕還有利益問題。這次五都選舉到底有沒有金錢介入選舉？司法檢調機關豈能悶聲不吭？

國民黨是最具包容性的政黨，但包容不表示縱容，尤其不能縱容端著政黨招牌，卻搞利益輸送的勾當。台北市議員同樣在副議長選舉中跑票，但因為事前沒有採取動作，事後查證不易，嚴飭黨紀也不能冤枉任何人，金溥聰只能要求黨中央、市黨部和黨團「反省檢討」。事實上，黨中央、市黨部乃至黨團，理應心知肚明是誰跑票，如果當事人還心存僥倖，不知檢討，這樣的爛蘋果，真的不必再硬撿到籃子裡來。

國有國法，黨有黨紀，政黨的目的不只在勝選，重點是勝選後服務人民；貪圖利益或畏怯惡勢力者，如何堂堂正正為民喉舌？五都選後，選票數落後於民進黨的國民黨，能義無反顧，勇敢地走出這一步，已經在起跑點上搶得先機，贏了第一步。政黨競爭，不只在選舉期間，而在每天、每件事的表現；唯有擺脫選票壓力，挺起腰桿，才能贏得尊敬，否則即使贏得選舉，爭得大位，還是有愧於國家社會。