The Double-Standard Democratic Progressive Party
The Storm Media Editorial, November 12, 2021
Power corrupts and makes a man arrogant. Since when was the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan corrupted? It is difficult to tell, but it is certain that the comprehensive governance with an absolute majority is powerful enough to get them carried away. The cases of the last week alone are enough to certify the DPP as a "double-standard party." This label is not to be removed easily before President Tsai Ing-wen steps down, because she is the "culprit" who condones the double standard.
Case 1: “What are the values in your minds?”
Former Legislator Huang Kuo-chang of the New Power Party (NPP) referred to the "referendum to be held on the same date as the general election" which was one of the four referendums at the end of the year. Having the referendum to be held with the general election has been the DPP's position since it promoted the referendum law. This not only saves social costs but also makes it easier to mobilize and encourage people to participate. What’s incredible is that the DPP routed in the 2018 referendum and the general election, it resorted to amending the law to limit the referendum to a specific day every 2 years. What’s more ridiculous is that the DPP banned referendum to be held with the election on the one hand but proposed a referendum on an amendment to the constitution to be held with the election on the other hand. What’s absurd is that not a single party member realizes that this move has run counter to the so-called "progressive value" advocated by the DPP. To paraphrase Huang 's words, the party has become a talking parrot fed by the central kitchen (DPP), which can only repeat the same words as the central kitchen outputs.
There are more slaps in the face to DPP. Except for the referendum on the revival of the fourth nuclear power plant, the referendum questions on the protection of a coastal algal reef, and the ban of pork containing residue of ractopamine are the DPP’s previous proposals. President Tsai ignored her past pledge that the algal reef will remain forever; the DPP officials ignored their clamored slogan "Importing the ractopamine pork, the President stepping down!" Does the DPP have any beliefs and values left? The only consideration is to "benefit holding on to power." Under this premise, formulating or changing the rules of the game has become the standard practice of the DPP, and there is no qualm at all.
Case 2: DPP Encroaches Campuses, Undermining University Autonomy
Since its inception, the DPP has advocated keeping political party, government, and military off-campus. It has indeed succeeded in getting the KMT organizations out of campus completely. The arrogance of power is most conspicuous and shocking here. President Tsai Ing-wen's strong intervention in the selection of the president of National Taiwan University, using the four powers of justice, administration, supervision, and legislation. Hampered the election process for one year. President Kuan Chung-min of National Taiwan University has not fully recovered from this trauma. DPP Legislator Fan Yun alleged that National Tsing hua University could become a breach of mainland China’s united front in Taiwan and the United States vs China's high-tech confrontation. This tag of a label was outrageous, and she even directly asked the president of the University System of Taiwan to resign.
The briefings of the referendum issues kicked off. The first DPP briefing was originally scheduled to be held at National Central University. After being criticized, the venue was changed. Not only did the referendum briefings target the university campus, the DPP’s New Taipei City Chapter and National Taipei University (NTPU) jointly organized a "Public Policy Seminar". The lecturer is a DPP member, and a "certificate" is issued by NTPU after completion of the course. This is inexplicable. Has the national university become a DPP "affiliated training institution"? The rebuttal of the DPP’s New Taipei City Chapter is unreasonable, to say the least. First, if the DPP wants re-education, it should invite a professor from NTPU to the Party Chapter. It is totally unacceptable for the DPP official to lecture in the university. Second, if the DPP wants to run educational classes for supporters, it should be arranged at the (local) party headquarters not at the campus. Third, even if it is "extended education," at least changing the sponsor to a think tank or a foundation is better than "DPP New Taipei City Chapter."
The question worth thinking about is why the independent and free universities lose the capacity to think independently when they encounter the DPP, forgetting the principle that political parties do not enter campuses? Is it because the university president has developed a congenial relationship with the DPP to the point that he has forgotten the distinction between academic and political party? Or is it about the budget? Either way, the DPP has gone rotten, and the university got lost.
Case 3: Blame Video of Health Minister Drinking and Singing on Beijing’s Infiltration
Enjoyed longtime high poll rating, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), attracted criticism. A video clip of him singing and drinking at a restaurant with a businessman, a medical practitioner, and hostesses was recently leaked out. Chairman Eric Chu of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lamented, "If it were KMT official, he would have stepped down long ago." Minister Chen asked sarcastically, " Stepping down because of drinking? or because of singing?"
Minister Chen’s question was not wrongheaded. In fact, it is not a wrongdoing to get together after office hours and drinking and singing are not illegal; The DPP defended that the video was misdated and that it was the CCP infiltrating and fabricating fake news. But even the questioned date last June was not under the epidemic restriction level 3, keeping social distancing as a code of conduct was still in the guide. According to the "New Life for Epidemic Prevention" guide announced by the CECC, the restaurant is required to have quincunx seating or use a partition. Chen himself admitted that there was a party, what was the fake news? It’s even more ridiculous accusing the CCP infiltrated the hostesses. Should the National Security Bureau check the allegiance of the hostesses across Taiwan?
Minister Chen is not a legislator who needs to make stops to serve constituents. He is a political appointee, the commander of CECC who orders people to observe epidemic prevention measures. People are reported and fined if they don't wear a mask. But he could casually, nonchalantly violet his own rules. How credible is the epidemic prevention? Not to mention that there was a notorious doctor involved in the scandal related to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (the kickback of medical materials, fraudulent collection of health insurance premiums). By the late President Chiang Ching-kuo’s standards, Chen must be disqualified, included in the never-hire list, his behavior is absolutely not in line with the civil servant code of conduct.
Before power corrupts, it let people become arrogant and insolent. Minister Chen, a CECC commander, who was once cautious and fearful of the epidemic, was no longer around; instead, he became an arrogant rogue. Chen is by no means a special case of the DPP. When party members could commend the runaway drunk driver as a righteous person (referring to former Legislator Chen Po-wei). When the President, the National Security Bureau, and the Ministry of National Defense could reward the officer who smuggled cigarettes, lied and did not report to be promoted to a general (re. Chen Min-hua), of course, Minister Chen could continue to sit firmly on his throne of power. Just why does the DPP think that it can still earn the support of most of the people? That is the question. When the DPP turned its back to public opinion and when karma explodes, the people can only part with the DPP.