DPP and Ah-Bian: Lie Down with Dogs, Get Up with Fleas

DPP and Ah-Bian: Lie Down with Dogs, Get Up with Fleas
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China)
A Translation
August 15, 2013

Summary: Yesterday the DPP approved Chen Shui-bian's application to rejoin the party. This shows that the DPP has never given the Chen family's corruption a second thought. Even worse, it now intends to invite this embezzler back into its house. The DPP is essentially telling the world it is in cahoots with Ah-Bian. The last vestige of hope that voters might have held out for the DPP is now gone.

Full text below:

Yesterday the DPP approved Chen Shui-bian's application to rejoin the party. This shows that the DPP has never given the Chen family's corruption a second thought. Even worse, it now intends to invite this embezzler back into its house. The DPP is essentially telling the world it is in cahoots with Ah-Bian. The last vestige of hope that voters might have held out for the DPP is now gone.

Ah-Bian is rejoining the party. The DPP finds itself in a bind. It is clearly guilty of gross hypocrisy. First of all, this is not rehabilitation. Chen Shui-bian was found guilty on mutiple counts of corruption. Most people do not consider Ah-Bian a "victim." More importantly, Ah-Bian has never confessed his crimes or apologized for his misdeeds. Yet the DPP has given him a free pass. The Ah-Bian corruption scandal will only bring down the DPP.

The DPP has allowed Ah-Bian to rejoin the party. But the DPP leadership was clearly ashamed. It was at a loss to defend its actions. This was clear from the two rationalizations offered by DPP Central Party Review Panel Convener Kuan Bi-ling. Rationalization One. Chen Shui-bian is sick. He is a victim of severe depression. By magnanmously allowing him to rejoin the party, the DPP is deferring to both human rights concerns and tp medical necessity. Rationalization Two. Former President Chen's application to rejoin the party was approved by the Central Standing Committee. Chief Convener Ker Chen-ming presented the application to former President Chen to fill out. Therefore the party cannot permit any internal inconsistencies.

Such sophistry can hardly rationalize the party's actions, which are utterly incomprehensible. Political parties are not hospitals. Ah-Bian may well be suffering from severe depression. But what does that have to do with rejoining the DPP? Now consider the second justification. The Central Standing Committee has resolved that Ah-Bian may rejoin the party. Therefore, as the logic goes, the Review Panel must not oppose this resolution. This sounds like plain and simple evasion of responsibility. It is true that the DPP Central Standing Committee and Central Evaluation Committee ought to have the final say regarding Ah-Bian's application to rejoin the party. The DPP Central Standing Committee deliberately passed the buck to the Review Panel. Put bluntly, DPP Party Chairman Su Tseng-chang evaded responsibility. But this is a sin of historic proportions that could very well sink the DPP. Can Su really dodge such a bullet?

In late 2006, Wu Shu-cheng was being prosecuted for corruption in the State Affairs Fund case. Chen Shui-bian was still president. Yet the DPP convened an emergency session of the DPP Central Executive Committee. DPP leaders engaged in heated debate. The party still included dissenting voices outspoken enough to acknowledge the First Family's wrongdoing. They demanded that the party distinguish between right and wrong. Now however, the DPP's word is final. Chief Convener Ker Chien-ming conveys the party leadership's ruling to the party faithful. Who dares to utter a word of dissent?

Ironically Su Tseng-chang contradicted himself. In 2008 Tsai Ing-wen took over as DPP Party Chairman. Confronted with the Chen corruption case, she was helpless to respond. WikiLeaks revealed that Su Tseng-chang repeatedly criticized Tsai Ing-wen during a meeting with the AIT. He said that under Tsai Ing-wen's leadership, the DPP lacked courage and determination. He said it failed to unequivocally and promptly disown Ah-Bian. It failed to distance itself from him. This he said, was a colossal blunder.

Today, looking back at Chairman Su's magniloquence, one cannot help being overwhelmed by emotion. Tsai Ing-wen's bottom line was Chen Shui-bian's right to medical treatment. She was unable to block the Taiwan independence fundamentalists. She was unable to prevent the Chen faction from extending its reach into the DPP. But contrast, Su Tseng-chang has allowed the Chen faction to march right in. Su's conduct is not even in the same ballpark as "courage." Su totally ignored right and wrong. The public finds one question most baffling of all. Why, it asks, was it necessary to allow Ah-Bian to rejoin the party? Yesterday during the Review Panel meeting, some said the DPP should simply bite the bullet and get it over with. Refusing to allow Ah-Bian to rejoin the party might lead to short-term pain, i.e., attacks from party insiders. But the DPP would continue to uphold Chen Shui-bian's right to health care. By contrast, allowing Ah-Bian to rejoin the party would surely lead to long-term pain. The DPP would continue taking heat for the Chen corruption case. It would lose its firewall.

Long term pain vs. short term pain. Which is worse? Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows the answer to that. No wonder DPP elder Lin Cho-shui blasted Chen Shui-bian's reentry into the party. For a political party with a mission, this is shameful. Meanwhile, realpolitik has motivated the DPP to hurriedly readmit Ah-Bian. It is almost as if the DPP is rushing to the aid of President Ma Ying-jeou, who has been dogged by low approval numbers. It is almost as if the DPP is filling the role of relief pitcher.

Lin Cho-shui said that if Chen Shui-bian insists on rejoining the party, he will become a nightmare for the DPP's 2016 presidential candidate. Anyone with a modicum of political knowledge understands this. In other words, allowing Ah-Bian to rejoin the party now is both morally and practically ill-advised .

It is destructive. It lacks any redeeming virtue. So why is the party leadership doing it? The answer may have to do with next year's party chairmanship election. Perhaps they are fighting each other for the Taiwan independence fundamentalist vote. But that is akin to drinking poison to quench one's thirst. Readmiting Ah-Bian means accepting what he has done. Leaders of a political party so deficient in vision may win their party's leadership. But such a party will never be able to win the presidency. Their individual struggles will be for naught. Most regrettable of all, the DPP will eventually be dragged down as well.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2013.08.15
社論－同流合汙 民進黨終於被看「扁」
本報訊

    　民進黨昨日通過陳水扁「再入黨申請案」，就一個從未嚴肅反省扁家貪腐弊案的政黨而言，現在又不明不白的將貪汙犯迎進門，此舉無異昭告天下，民進黨終於與扁同流合汙；而選民對民進黨的最後一絲期待，也終將就此破滅。

    　扁再入黨，讓民進黨陷於名不正言不順的困境。首先，這不是平反，陳水扁不但多案定讞，多數民意也不認為判決冤枉了扁；更重要的是，扁從未為過去的作為認錯致歉，隨隨便便就接納他，只會讓扁案重擔拖垮民進黨。

    　這一次民進黨同意讓扁重新入黨，顯然連民進黨中央都於心有愧，他們理不直氣不壯到什麼程度，單單從民進黨中央入黨複審小組召集人管碧玲的說法，就可以看出來，管碧玲提出同意扁入黨的兩個理由，第一、陳水扁為重度憂鬱之病人，其再入黨之情感，民進黨應給予人權暨醫療需求之必要考量。第二、陳前總統申請再入黨案，係經中常會決議，由柯建銘總召攜帶申請書，提送陳前總統填寫，黨不宜有前後不一的矛盾。

    　坦白說，這樣的說詞不但無法自圓其說，簡直是不知所云。試問，政黨又不是開醫院，扁有重度憂鬱症，與加入民進黨何干，至於第二點理由指稱，中常會既已決議扁入黨，複審小組不宜反對，聽起來簡直就是在迴避責任；確實，本該由民進黨中常會、中評會作最終決議的扁入黨案，黨中央卻刻意推給審查小組，說穿了，就是民進黨黨主席蘇貞昌逃避責任，只是，讓民進黨沉淪這樣一個歷史性的罪過，蘇貞昌真的逃得了嗎？

    　說來諷刺，民國95年底、扁嫂吳淑珍因國務機要費貪汙案遭起訴，當時陳水扁貴為總統，但民進黨仍召開臨時擴大中執會，讓民進黨菁英激辯，那時該黨還有少數諤諤之士，直言扁及第一家庭之過，要求黨中央不可無是非；相反的，現在的民進黨則是黨意先行，貴為總召的柯建銘負責送件，黨內還能有什麼異聲！

    　更諷刺的，還是蘇貞昌的前後不一；蔡英文於97年接任民進黨黨主席，面對扁案左支右絀，維基解密透露，蘇貞昌當時接受美國在台協會訪問時多次批評，蔡英文主持下的民進黨缺乏膽識及決斷力，未能及早和扁畫清界線，未能和扁清楚切割，這是一大錯誤。

    　現在回過頭來看蘇主席當初這番豪語，令人感慨萬千！蔡英文至少堅持守住保衛陳水扁醫療人權這條底線，但還是能夠力擋基本教義派，不讓扁及扁系伸手進入民進黨；相反的，蘇貞昌則是讓扁系長驅直入。這樣的作為，不但與他說的膽識相差不可以道里計，其實已經是毫無是非可言。民意最不解的是，為何非要同意扁入黨不可？昨日複審小組會議中，就有長痛、短痛之說，短痛指的是不讓扁再入黨，可能短時間內會被攻擊，但民進黨仍可持續關心陳水扁的司法和醫療人權；相對的，所謂的長痛，當然是指民進黨與扁案包袱將長相左右，痛失防火牆。

    　坦白說，長痛、短痛孰者為重，只要有一點常識者都很清楚，難怪民進黨大老林濁水接受訪問時痛陳，陳水扁再入黨一案，對一個理想性使命政黨而言，這是非常羞恥的紀錄。同時，就政治現實面而言，民進黨現在趕著讓扁入黨，形同是幫民調低迷的馬英九總統解圍、扮演救援投手的角色。

    　林濁水還說，如果陳水扁堅持入黨，對民進黨內要參選2016總統大選的人而言都是一個噩夢，這也是任何有一點政治常識者，都可以了解的道理；換句話說，民進黨中央此時安排扁重新入黨，不但正當性有問題，同時也是不智之舉。

    　百害而無一利，黨中央為何孤注一擲，也許只能從明年的黨主席選舉、爭奪基本教義派選票可以解釋；只是，這是飲鴆止渴，因為，既接納扁，也就是同時接納他的所作所為，一個如此沒有長遠目光的政黨領導者，即使爭得黨權，將來也不可能奪取大位，個人白忙一場無所謂，最令人遺憾的是，民進黨也終將被拖累。