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`New DPP movement' was on the right track

Young Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians, led by Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉), the party's candidate for Taipei County commissioner and once one of the president's right-hand men, recently called for a "new DPP movement." This drive to examine the party was aimed at restoring its ideals -- freedom, democracy, fairness and justice.

However, these young politicians' proposition triggered such controversy that DPP politicians began to bicker over whether Luo's pledge was incited by a desire to aggravate the generational conflict within the party.

Taking advantage of the situation, the pan-blue camp even lavished money on ads to denigrate the DPP as a corrupt party.

In fact, I believe that the "new DPP movement" championing self-examination was the first political movement in Taiwan to show a willingness to review internal conduct rather than simply disparage others. Although DPP leaders have now agreed to set aside the proposal, the movement represents something the public has long hoped for. Many are disappointed with the unproductive and violence-prone legislature.

Since the lifting of martial law in the 1980s, Taiwan's democratic achievements have amounted to nothing more than holding elections, which lack a wider cultural dimension.

What's worse, political figures are busy appearing on call-in talk shows and criticizing those they do not see eye-to-eye with, while failing to propose concrete arguments or a vision for the nation.

As a result, policy discussions are ignored, and the public has instead witnessed a bunch of politicians abusing media resources and overwhelming people with their meaningless complaints.

All Taiwanese are subject to the consequences of the nation's political chaos. But the perpetrators of this chaos were selected by the people, so nobody can escape criticism or dodge responsibility.

Self-examination does not make one appear weak. Rather, the true heros are those who are willing to face up to problems.

Luo's "new DPP movement" was clearly aimed at addressing problems in the party. Therefore, we should not believe that the DPP was simply experiencing internal conflict or, as the pan-blues have proclaimed, regard it as a corrupt party.

The nation is in need of some soul-searching. Let us root for those who bravely vow to examine themselves and push them to realize their ideal. Only when political figures take a good hard look at themselves will the nation achieve political reform.

Huang Ter-yuan is a doctoral candidate in the Sun Yat-sen Graduate Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities at National Chengchi University.

TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
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