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Referendum debates or diatribes?

Once the names of those who will participate in the debates against the referendum were announced, a friend started matching up dream pairs of defenders and opponents.

My friend said that if Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) were paired with UFO Radio chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), these eloquent speakers would be certain to fill the air with their oratory skills, never getting to the point, but keeping the audience happy.

If independent Legislator Sisy Chen (陳文茜) were paired with Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Chen would use all her firepower against the talented Tsai. This debate would not only be about the referendum, but also about who is the most talented woman in politics.

And if writer Li Ao (李敖) were paired with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), these former political prisoners might exchange stories from their prison years.

My friend's imagination is not of the surrealist kind. Many people are looking forward to finding out which eloquent speakers the green camp will name.

Looking at the blue camp's list, I don't believe they will send solemn, serious academics or civil servants to receive a beating. I also think attack and defense will be more brilliant than in the debates between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰). Viewer ratings may have talkshow hosts turning green with envy.

The two referendum ques-tions, originally considered meaningless, have received more attention with the participation of these orators.

Isn't this exactly what is needed to awaken the public's concern for public affairs, and to make them participate in decisions concerning their own future? Isn't this a positive phenomenon, and what the people pushing for referendum legislation were looking for when first promoting the idea?

What Li has said about this possible stand-off between orators make us sceptical, to say the least.

In a newspaper interview, Li, who still does not understand what a referendum debate is, asked the reporter "Didn't Chen and Lien just finish debating? What was the meaning of that debate? Who organized it? How come I, Jaw Shao-kong and Sisy Chen can represent the opposing side?" However, since Sisy Chen wanted him to participate, he guaranteed it would be an explosive debate and that the audience would be happy. He said the title should be changed from "debate" to "educational meeting," because their opponents would only have to listen and learn.

Listening to Li, it seems the debates will become talkshows extraordinaire. Citizens will be nowhere to be seen, only the orators and audience -- for the 9pm talkshow slot. The blue camp cannot take all blame for this. With the referendum being part of the presidential election, they of course respond using campaign language.

A few days ago, Huang Wu-hsiung (黃武雄) and 1,000 other activists signed a public letter supporting the referendum, stressing the deep significance of the referendum for history, democracy, peace and solidarity.

Calling the people the masters of the referendum, Huang worried that "excited campaign language may harm the referendum ideal, make it a mere political tool for campaign attacks, and raise concerns that the nation's first referendum may end in failure. This will seriously harm public support for the referendum and faith in democracy, while destroying the reform energy inherent in the referendum, thereby making future legislative, constitutional and social reform through referendum more difficult."

Huang is worried that if the referendum fails, the nation may not be able to experience this kind of direct democracy again.

Judging from the names of those who will debate against the referendum and from what Li said, Huang's concerns are coming true.

Maybe the signatories to the letter are attempting what they know cannot be done -- trying to return the referendum to the people and save it from the political killing field. But the referendum was initiated by politicians, and the lead roles will be played by politicians. The participation of those orators is evidence that this is merely a political game where there are no citizens, and where you and I are but "voters."

Ku Er-teh is a freelance writer.

Translated by Perry Svensson
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