Print

Mail

wiki links

Editorial: Chiang dynasty a political ruse

Recently, a fourth-generation descendant of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) was born in Taiwan. People and some media loyal to the Chiang family have hyped up the event as if a restoration to power by the Chiang family is imminent. Turning a blind eye to Taiwan's many years of democratization, they have tried to fill people's brains with exaggerated fantasies about the Chiang dynasty's magnificence. The reports are ludicrous in the extreme.

Of course, political motivations are behind such a laughable media phenomenon. Facing the "one country on each side" dictum advocated by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), the KMT and the PFP know very well that the Taiwanese public have rejected their "one China" policy. Short of a counter-strategy, the blue camp has no choice but to raise the divine image of Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) to resist the DPP's offensive. Now, coincidentally, the Chiang family has a newborn child. Why not put a spin on Chiang Ching-kuo's grandchild and blur the unification-independence issue so that the blue camp won't have to clarify their stance.

The people of Taiwan must not allow themselves to be cheated. The unification-independence issue involves the lives and welfare of our future generations. Naturally, it will be one of the core issues in next year's presidential election. The KMT-PFP candidates must not be allowed to fudge their answers on such an important question. They should, with a responsible attitude toward Taiwan's electorate, clarify the difference between their "one China" or "one country" policy and Beijing's "one country, two systems" policy. They need to persuade people that their cross-strait policies are more in the interests of the majority than are the DPP's policies -- instead of trying to lead the public into a blind nostalgia for the greatness of Chiang Ching-kuo.

PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) once said that Taiwan would join the World Health Organization within two years if he is elected. He needs to explain how and under what conditions he plans to do so, so that the people of Taiwan may better judge his political platform. Not only the KMT and the PFP, but the DPP and all other parties must also clearly explain their platforms to the electorate. For example, the DPP should explain what exactly it means by "one country on each side," as well as the risks of that policy.

We suggest that the KMT-PFP candidates give serious thought to Chen's "one country on each side" platform and come up with a smarter alternative, instead of holding on to the "one China" policy and using the myths of historical figures to blur the core issues of the presidential election. The hype over Chiang's grandson is basically an attempt to cheat the Taiwanese electorate. The blue camp should spell out its cross-strait policy and clarify what exactly is meant by a "one-China roof." They should also bring out their policy blue-print for improving the economy so that voters may compare it with the DPP's. Instead of indulging in a war of words, they should allow the people of Taiwan to make the most rational choice in next year's election.

The unemployment rate is now over 5 percent and the economy has been slow to recover. Under such circumstances, the KMT-PFP camp does have a good chance to win political power. Even so, what the Taiwanese electorate needs is an election oriented toward policies for the country's future development, not an election bogged down in vicious mud-slinging or wild campaign promises. The electorate indeed has the responsibility to monitor the campaign and make the March election a standard for newly arising democracies around the world.
This story has been viewed 2321 times.