DPP: Black Gold or Clean Government?

DPP: Black Gold or Clean Government?
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 20, 2012

Summary: This is a watershed moment for the DPP. A single intraparty power shuffle has compromised the DPP's integrity. How many power struggles and temptations does the future hold? How many opportunists crawl out from under the rocks in the event the DPP returns to power? Will the Democratic Progressive Party have the ability to clean house? Will it have the slightest desire to do so?

Full Text below:

We generally assume that political parties and politicians are rational. But often they behave like moths before a flame. Often they find themselves mired in scandal, unable or unwilling to extricate themselves. This was true of the KMT, with its past links to Black Gold. This is equally true of the DPP, with its current links to Black Gold, revealed over the past two days. These links have created a foul atmosphere at the very heart of the "new" DPP power structure.

The Democratic Progressive Party recently held its National Party Congress. It held Central Standing Committee and Central Executive Committee elections. DPP elections have always been about power, never about ideals. The public expected little from the current National Party Congress power struggle. But the results have been even worse than expected. Rumors of vote buying preceded the elections. Following the elections, Central Executive Committee member Hong Chi-kun delivered the bad news. Underworld figures took part in the election. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu helped Li Ching-fu, an underworld figure convicted of corruption, win election to the DPP Central Standing Committee. Hong called on the DPP Central Standing Committee to conduct a thorough investigation.

The DPP's first reaction was to ignore the vote-buying. The DPP's official spokesman airily dismissed the charges, saying, "The party has no past record of vote buying." In response to revelations that a member of the Central Standing Committee was guilty of corruption, the DPP did not blink. It said simply that "The elected candidate was fully qualified."

Were underworld figures involved in the DPP party elections? DPP spin doctors insisted there was no evidence. They said they would conduct an in-depth investigation. But when Li Ching-fu was Kaohsiung County Qiaotou Village mayor, he was indicted for accepting bribes from vendors. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Last year the Kaohsiung High Court reduced his sentence to six years. This is all spelled out in black and white. This is all a matter of public record. DPP officials often use "political persecution" as a shield against charges of corruption. But Hong Chi-kun blew the whistle on DPP corruption. He noted the timeframe for Li Ching-fu's corruption. it occurred during 2000, under a DPP central government. The DPP cannot cite KMT political persecution as an excuse.

The DPP Central Standing Committee and DPP officials' handling of the matter has made it even more controversial. First, the DPP Party Official Election Procedures stipulate that anyone "indicted for the crime of embezzlement" may not register as a candidate in party elections. Li Ching-fu was not merely indicted. He was convicted. His conviction was upheld on appeal. Yet somehow he was able to pas review and register as a candidate. The DPP clearly has no checks on eligibility. Was the DPP deliberately giving Li a free pass? How can people not wonder?

The DPP Central Executive Committee and Central Standing Committee elections are equally controversial. These elections have long relied on factional quid pro quo deal making. They have never been predicated upon the power of individual candidates. Li Ching-fu's power within the party is limited. Without help from the Chen Chu camp, he could not have been elected to the Central Standing Committee. Even Liu Shih-fang and Chen Chu faction leaders do not dispute this. They discovered problems with Yu Cheng-hsien's ballots. That is why they abruptly switched their support to Li Ching-fu.

This was the key. Hong Chi-kun revealed the truth. Li Ching-fu threatened Chen Chu. She was forced to support him. But the Chen Chu faction made this decision on its own. How much local support does Li Ching-fu have? Why was Chen Chu unable to turn him down? Why did she feel she had no other choice?

DPP officials may feel that colluding with controversial local strongmen is a necessary evil in politics. They may argue that this does not mean the DPP is involved in corruption. But have DPP officials forgotten? The year 2000 change in ruling parties was the result of a photograph of Wu Tse-yuan standing next to Lien Chan during a campaigning rally. As a result, the Kuomintang was labeled a Black Gold regime. The DPP blew the significance of the photo far out of proportion. Now however, convicted criminals can take part in DPP party elections. They can register as candidates. They can be elected to the DPP Central Standing Committee. They can become members of the top ranks of the DPP. If the DPP is subsequently denounced as a Black Gold political party, they can hardly say they were wronged.

President Ma Ying-jeou has long boasted of his integrity. The Lin Yi-shi corruption scandal erupted nevertheless. Under Ma Ying-jeou's chairmanship, incidents of vote buying erupted during Central Standing Committee elections. But here is where the KMT parts company with the DPP. Ma Ying-jeou ordered investigations. Those suspected of vote buying were suspended. The Central Standing Committee elections were held over. Ma Ying-jeou was criticized as undemocratic for his actions. But the party had its bylaws. Taiwan's two major parties are democratic centralist. Cleaning up the party and cleaning up oneself is something that must be done.

Similarly, the DPP factions rule. If they turn a blind eye to their own corruption, what kind of message are they sending the outside world? What kind of impression are they leaving the outside world? They are announcing to the world that they are just as tainted by their Black Gold connections as the KMT was in its time.

So far, DPP officials have been denouncing whistleblowers for harboring ulterior motives. They have been dismissing charges of corruption as part of an internal power struggle. They have been dismissing the controversy as a tempest in a teapot. This pattern of denial is the DPP's sorrow. When the Lin Yi-shi corruption scandal erupted, the public recalled the KMT's past history of Black Gold involvement. DPP leaders have apparently forgotten this. The DPP could have seized the opportunity to restore integrity within the party. After all, this is the main reason the public supported the 2000 change in ruling parties.

This is a watershed moment for the DPP. A single intraparty power shuffle has compromised the DPP's integrity. How many power struggles and temptations does the future hold? How many opportunists crawl out from under the rocks in the event the DPP returns to power? Will the Democratic Progressive Party have the ability to clean house? Will it have the slightest desire to do so?

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2012.07.20
社論－民進黨要擁抱黑金還是找回清廉？
本報訊

    　我們總以為政黨或政客是理性的，但是他們有時就像飛蛾撲火，身陷醜聞或困境而難以自拔，或是不願自拔；過去，國民黨黑金掛鉤是如此，這兩天鬧得烏煙瘴氣的民進黨權力改組亦是如此。

    　民進黨日前舉行全代會、進行中常委、中執委改選，民進黨的選舉向來只有權力、沒有理念，大家對這場爭權奪利的全代會，原來並無太高的期待，但結果竟然更糟；不但選前就是賄聲賄影，選後中執委洪智坤大爆料，痛批黑道介入選舉，他點名高雄市長陳菊支持涉貪的李清福當選中常委，要求黨中央必須徹查。

    　民進黨第一時間的回應，完全避重就輕，針對賄選傳聞，發言人輕描淡寫的說，「過去黨內選舉沒有賄選紀錄」；至於涉貪者成為中常委一事，更睜眼說瞎話，「當選資格沒問題」。

    　確實，是否嚴重到有黑道介入黨內選舉，口說無憑，有待民進黨深入調查；但是，李清福在前高雄縣橋頭鄉長任內，涉嫌收受廠商賄款被控，一審被判二十年，高雄高分院去年更一審改判六年，這卻是白紙黑字、有法律文書為據；洪智坤更拆穿民進黨涉貪人士常使用的「政治迫害」擋箭牌，直指李清福涉案被起訴時間點，是民進黨執政的二千年，完全不能拿被國民黨迫害當藉口。

    　因此，黨中央及民進黨要員的處理就更顯爭議，首先，依照民進黨黨職人員選舉辦法明定：「曾犯貪汙罪、經起訴者」，不得登記為黨職人員候選人。而李清福不但遭起訴，一、二審都被判刑，卻能通過參選資格審查，民進黨中央黨部完全沒有把關，如何不令人質疑這是有意的放水！

    　同樣爭議的是，民進黨中執委、中常委選舉，向來靠派系集體換票操作，不可能靠個人實力當選；因此單憑李清福在黨內實力、如果沒有陳菊陣營奧援，他絕無當選中常委的實力，這點連菊營大將劉世芳都不否認，他們是發現余政憲的票有問題，所以才臨時改變轉而支持李清福。

    　所以，真正的關鍵在於，如果真相不是如洪智坤所說，陳菊是受李清福要脅、不得不支持，而是陳菊陣營自主的決定，那麼，李清福究竟有多麼了不得的地方實力，讓陳菊無法拒絕、非支持不可？

    　民進黨人士可能會認為，和有爭議的地方實力派人士結合，這是政治上的必要之惡，也不代表民進黨就會涉貪；只是，民進黨人士可別忘了，二千年政黨輪替的關鍵，也就是因為一張涉貪的伍澤元站在連戰身旁輔選造勢的照片，國民黨因此被打成黑金政權，舉輕以明重，現在涉貪人士可是登堂入室，晉身民進黨中常會，成為民進黨高層，民進黨若因此也被批為黑金，能說自己冤枉嗎！

    　馬英九總統標榜清廉，卻還是爆發林益世貪腐的大醜聞，但是觀諸馬英九擔任黨主席這幾年，也曾發生中常委選舉的賄選情事，馬英九不但下令調查，對涉賄者停權，更大動作的重選中常委；馬英九此舉可能遭批為不民主，但是，黨有黨的規範，更別說台灣的兩大黨都是民主集中制，清黨以自清，有時是必要的宣示。

    　同樣的，民進黨這次如果在派系共治的大帽子下，眾人睜一隻眼、閉一隻眼，這將給外界什麼樣的訊息，會讓外界有何種觀感？這無疑是昭告世人，就如國民黨，民進黨也開始有了黑金包袱。

    　到目前為止，民進黨要員傾向以動機論來看待這次的爆料，視為是黨內權力競逐的茶壺風波；這樣的小格局，是民進黨的悲哀，他們忘了，林益世貪瀆案爆發，民眾重新回憶起國民黨過去與黑金牽扯不清的歷史，民進黨原本可以掌握時機、重新尋回清廉政黨的令名，畢竟，這正是二千年人民支持政黨輪替的關鍵因素。

    　可以說，這是民進黨的關鍵時刻，如果只是一次的權力改組，就輕易的讓民進黨清廉破功，未來還有許多權力競逐及誘惑，只怕海畔的逐臭之夫將群擁而至，那時的民進黨，還有自清的能力及意願嗎？