Two of the nation's political parties have been given the responsibility of sitting in the legislature. They have been entrusted with the great privilege of participating in the drafting of this nation's laws. They clearly take this privilege and responsibility very lightly.
What should a nation do when the members of these parties behave for more than four years in a manner that demonstrates their utter contempt for the democratic process?
The sad truth is that no KMT or PFP member has answered in a court of law for their repeated, routine and blatant acts of corruption. No KMT or PFP member has done the right thing and divested (or put into escrow) holdings which bring many of them into clear violation of conflict of interest rules. No KMT or PFP member has answered for the pathetic brawls they initiate in that august chamber.
No KMT or PFP member has retracted their stated intention to indefinitely obstruct the lawmaking duties of the legislature. They apparently believe they have the absolute right to do whatever they want in the legislature. Who knows where their contempt for democracy comes from.
We have a right to ask: Why does the government allow these renegade parties to systematically destroy Taiwan's traditions? Does the government really believe that Taiwan is a society of laws? The government is aggrieved by the behavior of the opposition parties, yet their unwillingness to act shows they believe the opposition does have the right to do this. They do not.
Corrupt political parties should be outlawed and those members who have broken the law should be put on trial. They should answer for their crimes. They have shown repeatedly: they despise this nation.
Comparable behavior in any Western nation by members of the national legislature would, as an absolute certainty, result in long, public trials, and prison sentences likely longer than 15 years for such crimes. The worst of all, however, were the visits of the two party leaders to China. By the nation's own laws these trips unequivocally constitute acts of treason against the state. These two leaders should answer for this. Their statements while in China, statements that humiliated and debased Taiwan and its legislature, constitute treachery against Taiwan's political process. They should answer for this.
Their anti-democratic demagoguery, their belittling of everything this nation tries to accomplish, their open consorting with a vicious, totalitarian enemy, their corrupt behavior in and out of the legislature -- they should answer for all of this.
The KMT and PFP must be destroyed before they destroy Taiwan. It's that simple.
Stephen Carter
Taichung
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