US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr once said, "If not now, when; If not me, who?" As a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), I now have the responsibility to call for reform. Such calls are not intended to sow division, but rather to attract attention.
There is no denying that the DPP is now stuck in a rut and unable to move forward. The pan-blue camp continues to obstruct everything the DPP tries to achieve, and the media has a harsh attitude toward the government. But the major problems plaguing the government are that it has sunk into a bog of corruption and its policies are unclear.
The party watches as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) becomes more popular, yet it is unable to come up with a strategy to counteract his rise. The situation is worrisome, and not only for DPP legislators. The party's rank and file and general supporters are concerned as well. Many of the party's supporters used to be proud of being DPP members. Now, the party's pride and its founding spirit seem to be things of the past. The party leadership needs to take note of this and address the problem head-on.
To deal with these worries and respond to public calls for reform, I and other DPP legislators have decided to hold a party conference. The conference is not intended as an arena for factional infighting. Nor should it be an occasion for members to shirk responsibility for mistakes and only blame others. No DPP member can avoid responsibility for the party's setbacks, nor should the party avoid discussing President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) mistakes. However, we should not blame Chen for mistakes that are not of his doing.
If the government's policy and integrity fail to live up to the public's expectations, there should be soul-searching and changes. Recent environmental issues, health insurance fraud by DPP legislators and the appointment of board directors and supervisors to companies partly owned by the government have led to suspicions of shady relations between party members and businesspeople. This has drawn public criticism and highlighted the DPP's shortcomings. Although the party has repeatedly vowed to set high moral standards for itself, the public wants to see resolute and determined action, not hear lame slogans to meet criticism.
It's regrettable that my comrade and colleague Lin Wuei-chou (林為洲) has decided to leave the DPP. But the powerful way in which he expressed his concerns about the nation's future and his aversion to the vicious struggle between the pan-blue and pan-green camps has strengthened our belief that the DPP must engage in serious soul-searching and reform. Lin has sounded the alarm, hoping to break the endless deadlock between the pan-green and pan-blue camps and arouse the conscience of young DPP politicians.
To win back public support, the DPP must answer the calls for reform without setting any restrictions on such reforms. Most importantly, the DPP must set a clear direction for the party's future. Reform is the only way to regain public support.
Tsai Chi-chang is a Democratic Progressive Party legislator
Translated by Daniel Cheng
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