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Editorial: Shih's vanity distracts the mighty

A preliminary meeting between Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) aides yesterday failed to reach a consensus on a time, date, location or format for the meeting, let alone what the two should talk about.

While it is understandable that Su, the country's highest administrative official, would want to talk with the opposition, the topics they eventually discuss should focus strictly on issues of national importance, like the passage of the long-stalled arms procurement bill and legislation that impacts on people's lives.

The proposed Su-Ma meeting should not consist of negotiations on how to end the anti-President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) campaign.

It should not, as several media outlets reported earlier this week, be an opportunity for party heavyweights, in the hope of easing tensions, to act as mediators and conduct some sort of shady deal patching things up between Chen and the campaign's leader, Shih Ming-teh (施明德).

If that is Su's intention, he should be warned not to place too much stock in the meeting with Ma. After all, the ultimate goal of the opposition is for the president to step down.

There is no need for any political negotiation, nor is there a need for other politicians to get involved when it is Shih himself who needs to clean up his mess and formulate an exit strategy.

Shih was the one responsible for bringing the crowds to Ketagalan Boulevard in the first place, portraying himself as a martyr and claiming that he had written his will. It was he who said that he would stage the anti-Chen sit-in protest until "either I die or Chen dies."

Shih's campaign has succeeded in bringing only unrest, economic losses, renewed ethnic friction and traffic congestion, all of which are slowly eroding the campaign's momentum, let alone any support it may have had from the pan-green crowd.

However inconvenient things may get because of Shih's protest, Taiwan's leaders must not let the nation's democratic institutions be damaged by this momentary madness.

Taiwan has not worked to bring about democracy and establish a depoliticized system of law and order so that celebrities can make reckless statements, instigate street clashes, side with former autocrats -- and then expect to receive an audience with elected officials.

Why should anybody bother voting if, every time the nation finds itself in political strife, some self-proclaimed messiah appears and gathers a crowd of followers -- with opposition backing -- who demand that the head of state be deposed?

The president is elected by this nation. The length of his tenure should not be decided during a few secretive meetings between senior political figures from various parties.

Whatever negotiations go on in these closed-door meetings can only damage the nation's democratic mechanisms.

The most responsible action would be to allow the judiciary to do its job and continue with its investigation into the cases that have implicated the president's family and advisers.

As Ma himself often says: "Let everything be conducted in accordance with the law."

Indeed.

And as for Shih, the best exit strategy for him would be to swallow his pride, end his sit-in and go home.
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