DPP Total Rule Means Total Accountability and Total Responsibility

DPP Total Rule Means Total Accountability and Total Responsibility
China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
February 1, 2016

Executive Summary: Total Rule means the DPP must assume total responsibility for any future political developments. Tsai Ing-wen must be psychologically prepared for this. Tsai Ing-wen must expressly declare that according to the Constitution, cross-Strait relations are not relations between different countries. Only this can allay Mainland concerns about her advocacy of the "two states theory”. Only this will enable her to ensure cross-Strait peace.

Full Text Below:

The DPP legislative caucus has approved, by clear acclamation without objection, legislator elect Su Chia-chuan's appointment as Legislative Speaker, and Tsai Chi-chang's appointment as Deputy Legislative Speaker. Party favorite Ko Chien-min, who was endorsed by the New Tide faction, and who fully expected to win the post, was washed away by the rushing waters. This of course was the result of Tsai Ing-wen's last minute intervention.

Su Chia-chuan pledged to abide by the three principles of legislative speaker neutrality. He would refrain from participation in party activities, refrain from assuming any party posts, and refrain from participating in any party-administration coordination activities. He would resign from the DPP Central Standing Committee. He would refrain from taking part in DPP party activities. He promised to comply fully with Tsai Ing-wen's legislative reform blueprint. He clearly demonstrated Tsai Ing-wen's determination. Ko Chien-min has stepped down. Su Chia-chuan has taken his place. This sends an important message regarding Tsai Ing-wen's future rule.

Ma Ying-jeou was never able to implement the reforms he wanted in the Legislative Yuan. He was often unable to even impose his will upon the Executive Yuan. Tsai hopes to avoid the pitfalls of Ma vs. Wang confrontation. Tsai Ing-wen has a totally different leadership style than Ma Ying-jeou. At this critical moment she has forced the New Tide faction to retreat, mollified party elders, and laid down the law for legislative speaker appointments. Her moves have been measured, and reminiscent of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This, along with Tsai's three principles of legislative neutrality, amounts to a double victory, in image as well as substance. This is important for Tsai Ing-wen. It is also the right thing to do. To this, we give her our blessings. Tsai Ing-wen has already prepped herself for Total Rule.

For Total Rule to be successful however, a right first step is not enough. If Tsai Ing-wen wants Total Rule, her next step must be total commitment and assumption of total responsibility. This is essential. Only then will Tsai Ing-wen's achievements be hers. Only then can her regime rank among those of Merkel and Thatcher.

Take the assumption of total responsibility. The Democratic Progressive Party won both the presidency and the legislature. At the local level, it won 13 counties and municipalities. Its jurisdiction encompasses a population of over 14 million, more than 60% of the entire population. From the central to the local, from the executive to the legislature, the Democratic Progressive Party has achieved Total Rule over Taiwan. Internally, it is unchallengeable. It has absolute power. Therefore it must assume total responsibility and lead Taiwan in the right direction.

Total commitment must also be reflected in domestic and foreign policy. Internally, Tsai Ing-wen must do two things. One. She must take advantage of Total Rule to liberate government policies from mob sentiment. She must restore rationality to policy debates. She must not allow Taiwan to remain a victim of populist sentiment and endless wheel-spinning. Two. She must practice the true spirit of democracy. She must implement majority rule, in order to rectify the mistakes made by past governments. She must show respect for the minority.

Only respect for the minority can mollify the losing party and its supporters, enable Taiwan to avoid vicious blue vs. green tit for tat retaliation, and end the prolonged democratic civil war.

Respect for the minority will be the acid test for Democratic Progressive Party Total Rule. The DPP must swiftly transform its opposition party defects into ruling party virtues. It must not succumb to the temptation to accuse opponents of “selling out Taiwan”, or launch personal attacks. The KMT has suffered a crushing defeat. But the DPP must not seize the opportunity to engage in “search and destroy”. The KMT and DPP are political competitors, not enemies. A robust opposition is indispensable to Taiwan's democracy. Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP must exercise wisdom in their treatment of political opposition and private dissident.

Now consider external policy, the most important of which is cross-Strait policy. This has long been Tsai Ing-wen's Achilles Heel, and most dangerous challenge. Tsai Ing-wen must do everything possible to ensure peace with the Mainland. Otherwise, even Total Rule will result in a debacle in the event cross-Strait exchanges collapse. Total Rule will become total collapse.

The first obstacle in the way of cross-Strait peace remains the 1992 Consensus. Its historical origins and DPP supporters' emotional baggage make it difficult for the DPP to accept the 1992 Consensus. But none of Tsai Ing-wen's 1992 Consensus word games have succeeded in replacing it. None of her substitutes have won Mainland acceptance. The problem is that Tsai Ing-wen has never addressed the core issue. Just what are cross-Strait relations? Tsai Ing-wen must clearly and unequivocally declare that according to the Constitution of the Republic of China, cross-Strait relations are not international relations. This is enshrined not only in the text of the constitution, but also in the text of the Council of Grand Justices' Constitutional Interpretation No. 329.

Tsai Ing-wen must expressly declare that according to the Constitution, cross-Strait relations are not relations between different countries. Only this can allay Mainland concerns about her advocacy of the "two states theory”. Only this will enable her to ensure cross-Strait peace.

Finally, Total Rule means the DPP must assume total responsibility for any future political developments. Tsai Ing-wen must be psychologically prepared for this. In the past, central and local governments passed the buck to each other. The executive and the legislature passed the buck to each other. In the future, Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP will not be able to shirk responsibility. Tsai Ing-wen might as well roll the dice and go all out to create a political legacy for herself.

社論－全面執政就要全面承擔、全面負責
2016年02月01日 04:10 主筆室

民進黨團無異議鼓掌推舉準立委蘇嘉全、蔡其昌角逐立法院正副院長。已取得新潮流系支持、做好參選萬全準備、聲勢最被看好的柯建銘最後急流湧退，這當然與蔡英文在最後關頭強力介入有關。

緊 接著，蘇嘉全宣示將遵守國會議長中立化三原則，不參加政黨活動、不擔任黨職、不參與黨政協調平台，當選後並辭去民進黨中常委，不介入任何民進黨的活動。完 全照著蔡英文的國會改革藍本照本宣科，其顯現的也是清晰的蔡英文意志。柯建銘與蘇嘉全2人的進退，傳遞出蔡英文未來執政的重要訊息。

鑒於 過去馬英九的意志始終無法在立法院貫徹，以致經常發生「令不出行政院」的困境，為了避免馬王互卡的失敗經驗重演，蔡英文採用了和馬英九截然不同的領導風 格，在關鍵時刻勸退新潮流系，擺平黨內大老，強勢決定國會議長的人事。其出手精準確實，頗有德國總理梅克爾與英國前首相柴契爾的魄力身影，再加上新的議長 宣示了蔡英文主張的議長中立化三原則，在立法院長的布局上，可謂裡子面子雙贏。這是蔡英文重要的、也正確的執政起手式，對此，我們給予祝福也給予肯定。蔡 英文已經做好了「全面執政」的準備。

然而，執政要成功，邁出全面執政的正確第一步是不夠的。蔡英文既已做到全面執政，接下來就要做到全面承擔，並負起全面責任。這兩步做到，蔡英文才有可能成就專屬於她、與梅克爾和柴契爾相輝映的治理傳奇。

以全面承擔言，民進黨不只總統國會雙勝，地方也拿下13個執政縣市，所轄人口超過1400萬人，占總人口也超過6成。可謂從中央到地方、從行政到立法全面主導。民進黨既然掌握了台灣內部已經無人能及的絕對權力，就必須全面承擔，帶領台灣走向正確的國家發展方向。

所 謂全面承擔，必須同時反映在對內與對外的兩個面向。對內的部分，蔡英文要做到兩件事。其一，要運用全面執政的優勢，打破台灣過去民粹綁架政府施政的亂象， 引導台灣回到理性的政策之辯，不要讓台灣繼續被民粹情緒拖進無止盡的虛耗與空轉。其二，則要真正實踐民主精神，除了貫徹多數治理以匡正過去政府部門的失能 外，更要能做到「尊重少數」。

唯有落實對少數的尊重，才有可能讓落敗方與其支持者心服，才有可能避免台灣繼續陷在藍綠相互報復的惡性循環，終結長期的民主內戰。

「尊 重少數」對全面執政的民進黨來說是最關鍵，也是最艱鉅的考驗。民進黨得在短時間內把「在野者的慣性」，轉型為「執政者的格局」，首先不能再動輒扣異議者賣 台帽子或進行人身攻擊。同時雖然國民黨慘敗，但不能存著所謂「乘勝追剿」的傲慢。國民黨是民進黨政治上競爭的對手，不是敵人。一個足夠強健的在野黨，更是 台灣民主政治不可或缺的一隻手、一條腿。蔡英文與民進黨必須擁有這樣的高度去看待在野黨，以及民間的異議者。

在對外的部分，最重要的還是兩岸，這始終是蔡英文未來執政最大的罩門、最險的挑戰，蔡英文務必窮盡一切方法，建立與大陸最起碼的和平互動。否則，即便掌握全面執政的巨大權力，兩岸一崩，全面執政將會變成全面崩盤。

兩 岸和平互動的第一道鎖，仍是九二共識之結。民進黨雖有其歷史淵源與支持者情感的包袱，以至於遲遲不肯正面接受九二共識。但蔡英文到目前為止對九二共識的擦 邊或繞彎，仍未能發揮取代九二共識、取得大陸認同的積極作用。關鍵就在蔡英文並沒有一步到位直指核心問題，也就是兩岸關係究竟是什麼關係？蔡英文應清楚、 斷然宣示，依照中華民國憲法，兩岸不是國與國的關係。這一點不但載於憲法文字，也為憲法的解釋機關大法官會議於釋字第329號解釋文所闡明。

只有明確地依憲宣示兩岸不是國與國關係，蔡英文才有可能化解大陸方面對蔡英文是否主張「兩國論」的疑慮。兩岸的和平互動，才有續保的可能。

最後，全面執政，就必須全面承擔，在未來新政局裡，民進黨要負的將是全面責任，蔡英文要有心理準備，過去中央地方互推責任、行政立法相互怪罪的時代結束了，接下來，發生任何問題，蔡英文與民進黨都將無責可推，也無可迴避。就放手一搏，努力建立蔡英文的執政傳奇吧。