Democracy's Shame

Democracy's Shame
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China)
A Translation
March 20, 2014

Summary: The "Democratic Front Against Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement" and other pressure groups stormed the legislature last evening and occupied the legislative hall. Speaker of the Legislature Wang Jin-pying insists that he is neutral. He refuses to invoke his police power to restore the dignity of the legislature. He has long abetted the DPP minority overriding the democratic majority. The result has been a tragedy for democracy.

Full text below:

The "Democratic Front Against Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement" and other pressure groups gathered outside the Legislative Yuan last night. They objected to the submission of the "Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services" to the Legislative Yuan for review. The protestors consisted mainly of students. They stormed the legislature last evening and occupied the legislative hall. They held a press conference and made three demands. They demanded that police immediately withdraw from the legislature, that President Ma Ying-jeou apologize, and that Premier Chiang Yi-hua step down and reject the cross-strait agreement in trade in services. Let us be blunt. If the administration bends to their will, the ROC government may as well close shop.

We are deeply disappointed. Political competition on Taiwan may be fierce. But we do have a clear consensus. We are a democracy under the rule of law, When we hold any election, pass any bill, we must follow proper procedure. We have a democratically elected government. This government has a mandate from a majority of the voters. It is responsible to the overwhelming majority of the people and their interests, as expressed in the proposed bill. The bill was passed by a democratically-elected legislature, in accordance with due process. We are proud of our democracy. it operates according to these rules. We do not believe there is an alternative.

Unfortunately, the laws of democracy were violated late at night, on the day before yesterday. A mob established a "front." Its members gathered before the legislature. They injured policemen attempting to maintain order. They occupied the legislative hall. They forced the legislature to change its schedule. They demanded that the premier step down. They demanded that the president apologize. If the premier and president failed to comply, they threatened to continue their occupation until their demands were met.

Who are these people? Who gave them the power to tell an elected legislature how to legislate? Who gave them the power to flagrantly occupy the hallowed halls of the legislature, and order the police out? The premier is answerable only to the democratically elected legislature. Who gave them the power to demand that he step down? Who gave them the power to demand that an elected president apologize? Today's Taiwan is proud of its democracy. If the mob is permitted to get away with this behavior, why bother to hold elections? Why should we respect the democratic legislative process? After all, if one can muster a hundred or so people, one can occupy the halls of the legislature, and demand to be heard. Others will have no choice but to listen. Simple, right? But the democracy we strived for so many years to achieve will be destroyed in such a manner.

The cross strait agreement in trade and services can be debated. It has already undergone lengthy debate. The pros and cons and relevant factors have all been discussed. Everything that can be discussed, has been discussed, Everything that can be evaluated, has been evaluated. How can industries that benefit increase their competitiveness? How can industries that might be harmed minimize the harm? Everything that can be thought of, has been thought of. Furthermore, opinion polls show that most people support the cross strait agreement in trade in services. President Ma was democratically elected by a majority of voters. So was the ruling party in the legislature. They reflect majority opinion on Taiwan. They support the cross strait agreement on trade in services bill. The bill reflects the will of the majority. If opposition parties have different views, they may express them, then seek to rule after the next election. But they may not engage in irrational obstructionism. They may not incite students to occupy the halls of the legislature. Unfortunately, this is precisely what has happened on Taiwan.

We sternly condemn the DPP. You are heading step by step in the direction you once opposed. You want to steer the ship of nation. You are welcome to do so. But you must first win majority support. If some day win a majority, then of course you may review the merits of the cross strait agreement in trade in services. But today you are in the opposition. Please respect the rules of the game. Is all you know how to occupy the podium? Is all you know how to engage in technical obstructionism? Are you afraid to state aloud your objections? Your approach demeans democratic values. It is populist demagoguery. Suppose one day you become the ruling party? Surely you don't expect the KMT to pay you back in kind, by engaging in obstructionism to the bitter end?

Your behavior behind the scenes is even more immoral. You encourage students to stand on the front lines. You encourgage them to engage in anti-democratic behavior, to irrationally trample on the dignity of the legislature, to assault law enforcement officers, and to humiliate heads of state and the premier. Worse still, you let the entire world to watch as young students on Taiwan failed the literacy test on democracy, and undermined democracy. You harmed these young students. You urged these youth to engage in violence and subvert the democratic process, This crime is one for which you cannot escape responsibility .

We appeal to the students occupying the halls of the legislature. Your behavior is not an expression of democracy, but the undermining of democracy. The bill is a solemn legal matter. It is not something you can get your way on by occupying the halls of the legislature and demanding whatever you want. Rethink your behavior. Do you wish to oppose the cross strait agreement on trade in services? Then please study the cross strait agreement on trade in services first. Study it carefully. Do not alllow yourself to be manipulated by politicians. Is your purpose merely to pad your resume, to ensure your future in politics? Or are you indifferent to the humiliation of the legislature, the trampling of the legislative process , and the sacrifce of democracy and the rule of law? If you are, we have nothing more to say.

Speaker of the Legislature Wang Jin-pying insists that he is neutral. He refuses to invoke his police power to restore the dignity of the legislature. He has long abetted the DPP minority overriding the democratic majority. The result has been a tragedy for democracy. Speaker of the Legislature Wang must restore the dignity of the legislature. Otherwise democracy will perish. How then can we restore public trust in our democratic ideals? 

社論－民主之恥
    2014-03-20 01:41
    中國時報
    本報訊

　反黑箱服貿民主陣線等民間團體在立法院外舉辦晚會，抗議《服務貿易協議》送立法院院會存查，以學生為主的抗議民眾在晚間衝進立法院占據議場。昨天更召開記者會提出3訴求，要求警察立即退出國會、總統馬英九道歉，行政院長江宜樺下台及退回《服貿協議》。我們很直接的說，若政府果真接受他們的訴求，那中華民國政府乾脆關門算了！

　我們如此沉重，是因為台灣政治競爭雖然激烈，卻有一個明確的共識：我們是一個民主法治的國家，舉辦任何一次選舉、通過任何一項法案，都要依循正當的程序。我們有一個民選政府，這個民選政府受多數選民付託，有責任提出符合最大多數人民利益的法案，再由一個民選的國會依正當程序通過，我們大家所自豪的民主，就是依此規律運作的。相信沒有人會認為，除這之外，我們還可以、或應該依循其它任何模式運作。

　很遺憾，民主的規律就在前天深夜被打破了！一群人成立一個所謂的「陣線」，聚眾在國會議場外集會，打傷維持秩序的警察，占領國會議場，強迫國會變動議程，要求閣揆下台，要求總統道歉，若不從，他們將持續抗爭下去，直到依他們的訴求為止！

　他們是誰？是誰賦與他們這麼大的權力？可以指揮一個民選的國會如何立法，可以公然占據神聖的國會議場還要喝令警察退出，可以直接要求一位只向民選國會負責的閣揆下台，可以要求一位民選的總統道歉？如果在今天的台灣，這個對民主成就還頗為自豪的國家，可以被允許這樣做，那我們必須要說，咱們還要選舉幹嘛！何必還要尊重民主的立法程序！只要有本事糾集百來個人，直接把議場給占領了，就可以非要你聽我的，不聽都不行，那不是非常簡單嗎？問題是，我們努力了那麼多年所打造的民主工程，可以就這樣毀於一旦嗎！

　《服貿協議》不是不能討論，但它早已經歷過非常冗長的討論了，所有的利弊相關因素，能討論的也都討論過了，能評估的也早做評估了，怎麼讓受益的產業進一步擴大競爭力，怎麼讓可能受到影響的產業盡量減少衝擊，能想到的都想到了，更何況若干民調也顯示，多數民意是支持簽訂《服貿協議》。在今天，民選出來的馬總統，是多數選民選出來的，國會的執政黨黨團，所反映的也是台灣的多數民意，它們推動《服貿協議》立法，正是向多數民意負責的表現，在野黨若是有意見，在充分表達不同意見後，爭取下一次選舉獲得執政即可，絕不是非理性的抵制，更不能操縱學生占據議場，很不幸，這一切竟然都在台灣發生了！

　我們必須嚴肅的譴責民進黨，你們正在一步步朝向你們曾經反對的方向走！你們想要掌握國家發展的方向盤，誰都歡迎，但請先贏得民意多數，有一天你們若真的贏得了選舉多數，當然可以檢討《服貿協議》的功過，但今天你既然是在野，就請尊重遊戲規則，如果只知占據主席台，只會抵制到底，甚至只敢技術性杯葛《服貿協議》的生效，卻不敢大聲說出反對的理由，這種做法，絕不是對民主價值理念的信守，而是民粹的利用。相信有一天你成了執政黨，總不會期待國民黨一報還一報，凡事都抵制到底吧！

　你們更不道德的是，居然自己躲在幕後，鼓動學生去站在第一線，讓他們以非民主、非理性的方式去踐踏國會尊嚴，去傷害執法人員，去羞辱國家的元首與閣揆，更不堪的是還讓全世界目睹台灣青年學子如何以不及格的民主素養，去傷害民主，你們是在殘害青年學生！竟然讓他們在還是青春歲月的年代，以暴力的手段去摧毀民主程序，這個罪行，你們是無從迴避的。

　我們也想誠摯的奉勸占據議場的學子們，你們的行為不是在踐履民主，而是在傷害民主，一個嚴肅的法案是有法定程序的，不是聽任你們占據議場後就可以予取予求的，重新省思自己的行為吧！要反對《服貿協議》，請先好好研究《服貿協議》，別再被政客操縱了！但如果你們的目的，只是在累積個人政治資歷，作為未來從政的資本，卻無視於國會被羞辱、立法權被踐踏、民主法治被犧牲，那我們就無言了。

　王金平院長堅持議長中立，拒絕動用警察權排除議事障礙，長期縱容民進黨以少數凌駕多數，終於釀成議場淪陷的民主悲劇，王院長必須設法重建立法院的尊嚴，否則民主自己淪喪，民眾對民主理念的信賴又如何維繫呢！