DPP needs to pursue a consensus on reforms

Some members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have recently launched a "new DPP movement," hoping to restore the party's ideals of freedom, democracy, fairness and justice, and revive its core values of self-examination and innovation.

The DPP has always upheld an image of reform, and one of the key indexes of a party's progression is its ability to critique itself. The path to reform is endless, and such internal calls for reform deserve praise. But when pushing for reform, greater space for discussion is also necessary to reach a consensus.

Unfortunately, sensational news reports and emotion have already blurred the focus. If we calm down and examine the proposals made by Taipei County commissioner candidate Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) and former legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), as well as the proposals from Legislator Trong Chai (蔡同榮), there is essentially no difference between them.

Both camps hope that the party can examine itself, and respond to the public's expectation for morally upright officials and improved government efficiency.

The only difference is that Luo and Tuan appealed directly to the public through the media without any internal discussion first.

Hence, in the eyes of some DPP members, they are seen as dividing the party into different generations and staging an internal coup against the pioneers of democracy -- in effect biting the hand that fed them. They have caused unnecessary emotional turmoil and blurred the original intent of their comments.

Such emotions were on display when Chai and over a dozen lawmakers of the DPP's Mainstream Alliance held a press conference to propose a party self-critique, but also suggested that investigation commissions be establish to probe several major scandals. This shows that the DPP has maintained a high degree of diversity within its ranks, but also indicates that there is a lack of communication and trust among senior members.

The DPP constantly proclaims that it is a party capable of self-criticism. The call for an internal review by Luo might be considered to reflect many voters' expectations. But if this call for an internal review and reform is to avoid being seen as just a campaign gimmick, it might prove to be more effective to take up a discussion over DPP reform after the year-end elections.

One the more feasible options is for party members to raise questions, and after they come up with possible solutions through an exchange of opinion and debates, their plans could be passed on to the party's highest body for review or implementation. This cannot be done in a short time. Nor can such reform proposals be thoroughly discussed and implemented in the current atmosphere,with the elections approaching.

The DPP should never divide itself based on members' ages, the generation they come from or past contributions. After all, the push democratization lies not only in the history of a party but also in repeated review, and an insistence on reform.

The DPP's ideal of implementing reform is a core value that needs to be encouraged more. The whole party's response to the calls for reform is the key to turning slogans into action.

The best opportunity for the DPP to set an example for Taiwan's democratic movement is to propose reforms and review them through a forum before the party's national congress and elections, which is scheduled for early next year. This way all party members and the public could participate in the discussions.

Huang Wei-cher is a Democratic Progressive Party legislator.

TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG