Political Calculations Must Not Obliterate a History of National Suffering

Political Calculations Must Not Obliterate a History of National Suffering
United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 10, 2015

Executive Summary: Happy Birthday Republic of China! Today, during a ceremony held before the presidential palace, military personnel, civilians, and students took part and rejoiced amidst the festive atmosphere of Double Ten. In a rare exception, ruling and opposition party leaders were in full attendance.

Full Text Below:

Happy Birthday Republic of China! Today, during a ceremony held before the presidential palace, military personnel, civilians, and students took part and rejoiced amidst the festive atmosphere of Double Ten. In a rare exception, ruling and opposition party leaders were in full attendance.

But as the history of Double Ten ceremonies shows, whether ruling and opposition leaders attend makes little difference. Political calculations will be difficult to eliminate. The presidential election is less than 100 days away. The campaign process compelled both ruling and opposition party leaders to attend the ceremonies. For this reason many see the ceremonies as pro form lip service to "one ROC, same interpretation" by parties that have different agendas. These parties actually subscribe to "one ROC, different interpretations". Imagine how loyal citizens of the Republic of China must feel? They yearn for a ceremony that bridges the chasm between blue and green.

Double Ten National Day ceremonies held since the ROC government moved to Taiwan, can be divided into two phases. During the first decade, "Oppose Chinese Communism, and resist the Soviet Union" was the watchword. A single party dominated. No real opposition existed. The nation's direction however, was crystal clear. Double Ten was celebrated universally, with jubilation. A consensus prevailed among the ruling and opposition parties. Everyone watched the National Day parade. Every house displayed the national flag. Everyone remembered those days with fond memories.

In 1991, when President Lee Teng-hui assumed power, organizers of the National Day ceremonies issued an unprecedented invitation to Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Huang Hsin-chieh. Huang was happy to attend. But alas, he was seated outside the VIP area. This and other factors angered Huang, who refused to attend a second time. This year, Tsai Ing-wen attended the National Day ceremonies. The last time an opposition Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson participated in a National Day ceremony was 24 years ago.

When the DPP came to power during Chen Shui-bian's first term, blue camp party chairpersons boycotted all four National Day ceremonies. The blue camp had difficulty accepting a minority president. Its doubts about green camp "backdoor listing" of the ROC have persisted. The divide between blue and green remains insurmountable. In 2005, Ma Ying-jeou became the first KMT Chairperson to attend the National Day ceremony since the change in ruling parties. In 2006, however, the full extent of Chen Shui-bian's corruption came known. That year the National Day ceremony turned into an arena for political conflict. People First Party legislators made a huge row.  Blue and green camp legislators engaged in physical scuffles, and created an international embarrassment. The following year, during the last National Day ceremony of his term, President Chen actually refused to make mention the "Republic of China". He refused to display the "Celebrate the Republic of China National Day" slogan on the presidential palace tower. He replaced it with a sign that read, "Taiwan must join the United Nations".

When the Kuomintang returned to power, the DPP chairperson also refused to attend the National Day ceremony. This year, Tsai Ing-wen eventually decided to attend. With the presidential election approaching, "maintaining the status quo" became an unexpected consensus shared by ruling and opposition parties. Front-runner Tsai Ing-wen once alleged that "The Republic of China is a government in exile". She now postures as a "champion of the ROC constitutional framework". How can she be absent on National Day? Therefore, Tsai Ing-wen has "revised her agenda" and participated in the National Day ceremony. Her attendance was facetiously characterized as "an inauguration ceremony in advance".

Imagine the National Day ceremonies next year. in the event Tsai Ing-wen becomes the star of the show. As New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming said, when the Democratic Progressive Party was in power, Republic of China flags were piled up like garbage following New Year's Day flag-raising and National Day ceremonies. Will such scenes be reenacted? The Kuomintang is undergoing intraparty strife. No one is asking Tsai Ing-wen how she intends to "maintain the status quo", or even what she means by "maintaining the status quo". Tsai Ing-wen and her fellow Taiwan independence supporters are already see Taiwan independence as "innate" and "natural". Their "defense" of the ROC is mere backdoor listing and expedience. How can they possibly be expected to treat the Republic of China with sincerity? Tsai Ing-wen claims that she attended the National Day ceremonies in order to end blue vs. green opposition, to work toward tolerance, reconciliation, and social unity.

The KMT probably cannot imagine what next year's National Day ceremony will look like. President Ma Ying-jeou could not conceal his embarrassment at the last Double Ten ceremony held during his administration. The impass over "removing Hung and replacing her with Chu" persists. The prospect of a head-on collision remains. Ma has no solution for internal party disunity. Ma has no power to conduct foreign policy. All Ma can do is watch power change hands, while the nation undergoes a changing of the guard. Where will the blue camp party princes who attended this year's National Day ceremonies find themselves next year? Can Eric Chu and Hung Hsiu-chu reach an understanding? Can they bury the hatchet, fight shoulder to shoulder, share responsibility, and prevent the structure from collapsing? Does the KMT really intend to wait until it loses public support, then create a scene at the National Day ceremony?

The Double Ten National Day ceremony should be an event that does not distinguish between ruling or opposition party affiliation. But for the past twenty years, it has been subject to the rise and fall of ruling vs. opposition party political status, not to mention public support for sundry political stars. They have never allowed the birthday party of the ROC to be a true ceremony that the people as a whole may enjoy.

The theme of this year's National Day ceremony is "Unite in love for Taiwan. Create a new future together". It is inscribed on a gateway straddling Ketagalan Boulevard. A reviewing stand for ruling and opposition leaders has been erected in front of the Presidential Palace. This will be the last National Day ceremony held while Ma Ying-jeou is president. Both ruling and opposition parties will participate. Ruling and opposition party leaders each have their own calculations. But as we watch military personnel, civilians, and students put on their show, remember to wish the nation well.

Happy birthday, Republic of China. Long may it live!

一頁國慶滄桑史，怎堪政治算計百摧磨

2015-10-10 聯合報

中華民國，生日快樂！今天在總統府前的國慶大會上，當軍民學生一起獻上精采表演，展現歡欣鼓舞、齊賀雙十的節慶氛圍之時，朝野政黨領袖也難得齊聚，共同獻上了「全出席」的國慶大禮。

只是，翻開一頁國慶大會史，朝野領袖無論出不出席，都難脫政治考量。明年總統大選投票距今不到百日，選情的發展，催出了今年國慶大會朝野領袖共同出席的盛況。正因如此，許多人認為，那恐怕是一個典禮上「一國同表」行禮如儀，內心裡「一國各表」另有盤算的場景；但這對過生日的中華民國將情何以堪，國民期待的是一個跨越鴻溝、藍綠同慶的盛典。

中華民國政府播遷來台後的雙十國慶大會，大抵可分成兩階段。在前數十年「反共抗俄」時期，雖然一黨獨大，沒有真正像樣的在野黨，但國家方向清楚，雙十時節，「普天同慶、薄海歡騰」就是朝野的共同賀辭；而國慶看閱兵、家戶掛國旗，也早已成為全民共同記憶。

民國八十年國慶，李登輝掌總統大位時，主辦單位首次以黨主席名銜發出邀請函給當時的民進黨主席黃信介，黃也欣然出席。但因座位被安排在貴賓區外圍等原因讓黃信介不滿，此後未再出席。蔡英文今年出席國慶大會，算一算，上次在野的民進黨主席參加國慶大典，竟然已是廿四年前的事了。

至於民進黨執政時期，陳水扁第一個總統任期內的四個國慶，藍營政黨主席全數缺席。面對少數總統，藍營難以心服；中華民國被借殼的疑慮，始終未除；藍綠鴻溝，終究難以跨越。直到民國九十四年，馬英九才成為政黨輪替以來第一個參加國慶大會的國民黨主席。但隨著九十五年陳水扁貪腐案逐漸被揭發，終讓當年國慶大典成了抗爭秀場，親民黨立委大鬧會場、藍綠立委扭打衝突的難堪場面傳遍國際。翌年扁任內最後一次國慶，總統談話竟避提「中華民國」，總統府塔樓更拒掛「慶祝中華民國國慶」標語，改懸「台灣入聯」口號。

國民黨奪回政權後的國慶，民進黨主席也均未參加，今年蔡英文終於出席。隨著總統大選逼近，「維持現狀」意外成為朝野最大共識；明年最有希望入主總統府的蔡英文，縱使曾稱「中華民國是流亡政府」，但既言「中華民國憲政體制」，則中華民國國慶豈能缺席？因此，蔡英文「調整行程」，參加國慶，並被戲稱是「勝券在握、提前見習」。

那麼，想像明年此時的國慶畫面，如果蔡英文成為大典主角，新黨主席郁慕明所說，過去民進黨執政時元旦升旗、國慶大典後，中華民國國旗被參與民眾丟棄在垃圾桶、堆積如山的場景，會再度出現嗎？現在國民黨內亂方殷，已經沒人追問蔡英文要如何「維持現狀」或維持「什麼現狀」了；但蔡英文的重要課題之一，當在思考如何讓自己及其把台獨當「基因」或「天然成分」的支持者，摒棄權宜或借殼心態，真誠對待中華民國。這樣，蔡英文所稱盼藉出席國慶典禮，終結藍綠對立，用包容、和解來團結社會的目的，庶幾能逐漸達成。

至於國民黨，大概已經不敢想像明年此時的國慶畫面了。馬英九總統任內的最後一個雙十慶典，難掩尷尬。「抽柱換朱」僵局未解，火車對撞危機猶存，對內團結無方，對外征戰無力，眼看政權拱手，江山易幟，今年在國慶觀禮台上的藍營天王諸將，明年安在？朱立倫和洪秀柱如果不能相互諒解，放棄前嫌，並肩作戰，共同承擔，扶大廈之將傾，難道要等到社稷不奉，再度以鬧場秀的方式出席國慶大典？

雙十國慶大會，原應是不分黨派、顏色，朝野共同參與的慶祝盛會，但廿多年來，卻始終隨著政局起伏與朝野易位而迭生枝節，更不要說是受這些政治菁英影響的廣大支持群眾，都讓中華民國的生日派對，始終缺乏真正朝野共賀、全民同歡的氣氛。

今年國慶大會「齊心愛台灣、共創新未來」主軸的大牌樓，早在凱達格蘭大道矗立；朝野領袖齊聚的觀禮台，也已在總統府前架好，國慶大會政治大秀舞台準備就緒。難得馬英九執政的最後一次國慶，朝野同賀；雖然朝野領袖各懷政治盤算，但在觀賞軍民學生的歡樂表演時，莫忘國民最誠摯的祝願：

中華民國，生日快樂，國祚延綿！