Fri, Oct 22, 2004 page8

• Editorial: A rattled PFP gets down and dirty

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  People First Party (PFP) lawmakers leveled some disgraceful accusations on Wednesday: they alleged, without providing evidence, that not only had President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) written a US$1 million check to former Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso as a birthday gift, but that the money was also compensation for his sexually harassing her. The incident highlights the increasing desperation of PFP lawmakers as they come to terms with the very real threat of electoral rejection in December. It also underlines the faux professionalism of media commentators and politicians who wage unsubstantiated, personal attacks on their enemies.

  Just when voters thought that the nation's legislators had hit rock bottom with their distasteful campaign shtick, the PFP has managed to do one better. But should anyone be surprised, given that the PFP has been rapidly moving to the very extreme of the political spectrum? They had, after all, incited their supporters and a number of gangsters to launch attacks on the Presidential Office and a Kaohsiung court after the presidential election, dashing any pretence of moderation on their part.

  These last four years, PFP legislators have been able to bask in the glow of PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) to get elected. But now, with Soong blamed by pan-blue voters for the inability of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the PFP to merge, and the most popular pan-blue politician -- Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) -- reluctant to stump for them, they have realized that the time has finally come for them to act on their own initiative. What better way to hold on to the hearts of fundamentalist pan-blue supporters than to vilify Chen? Taking this step means of course that they no longer covet the support of moderate voters, which in turn demonstrates the degree of their desperation.

  The accusations, it turns out, came from a radio program hosted by former New Party stalwart and media mogul Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康). When asked where he found his information, Jaw said a staff member on his show had discovered a story in a newspaper based in China after using a keyword search on Google.

  What does it say about the credibility of Jaw that he would lend weight to media reports from China, where journalism largely serves as a mouthpiece for the government and where Chen is labeled a traitor for advocating Taiwanese independence? If Jaw's idea of fact-checking is searching Google, then nothing complimentary can be said about him or his organization.

  Why did they not check with those who, according to the story, had personally witnessed Moscoso show off the alleged check? Why did they not attempt to locate the check itself? Bent on exposing their own Watergate, these "journalists" don't seem to know or care that investigative journalism is a hard slog -- as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein discovered investigating a head of state and his aides.

  On Wednesday, Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said legal action would be taken against those who made the accusations. This is an option that should never be exercised vindictively, but in this instance, it is perfectly warranted. Otherwise, unless Jaw and the PFP retract their accusations and apologize, the dignity of the office of the president and that of Taiwan's allies will have been trashed.
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