After a week-long mob protest in front of the Presidential Office incited by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong(宋楚瑜), it is obvious that KMT leaders and their followers do not understand or do not want democracy. Instead, they wish they were still under the authoritarian regimes of former dictators Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and Chiang Ching-kuo(蔣經國) so they could declare the election invalid, nullify it and declare themselves the winners.
To the KMT, autocracy is always better than democracy. What a shame.
I was very surprised to learn that President Chen would be willing to sign a letter of consent to allow for an immediate recount without evidence of election fraud presented by the pan-blue camp ("Chen replies to pan-blue rally request," March 28, page 1). In a democratic country, even the president is not above the law and he must, in my opinion, obtain consent from the people who supported him because their rights should also be protected.
I hope Taiwan's High Court will not allow this to proceed. Evidence is the key to any legal challenge and procedure. And the KMT's army of lawyers, if they are competent, should not ignore the basic legal facts.
As Lien and Soong appealed their grievance to international reporters, many rally slogans were in English, such as "salvage democracy" or "democracy is dead," hoping to gain sympathy from the world media.
Fortunately, the international media and international opinion are mostly in support of Chen despite the KMT's propaganda machine.
Lien said his appeals were part of his heartfelt concern over the entire country's democratization. Surely he should know whose sacrifices gave birth to Taiwan's democracy. In the not too distant past, in an incident in Kaohsiung known as the "Formosa Incident," many DPP democratic activists were wrongfully jailed. Yet Lien, then minister of communications, and Soong, then director of the Government Information Office, never raised their voices against the unjust treatment of the activists. In fact, both Lien and Soong's contributions to Taiwan's democratic development have been rather insignificant, if not outright negative.
Lien and Soong said the crowds were out of their control during their massive rally. If so, are they fit to be the leaders if they have no control of their followers? You be the judge.
Kris Liao
California
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