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Toss out the remants of days before democracy

If Taiwan wants to become a normal country, it has to establish a normal legislature, political parties and media that do not bow their heads to the dark remainders of the past authoritarian regime. The old-fashioned legislature, political parties and media that remain controlled by old and young followers of the past regime must be encouraged to embrace freedom, democracy and independence.

January's legislative elections will offer a historical opportunity for the nation to reform the old-fashioned legislature. Some argue that Taiwan has become a two-party system, with the two parties suppressing political forces external to themselves. If these two parties really were working to protect the welfare of the public and guarantee sovereignty, there would be nothing wrong.

Alas, they are not. One of the parties ought to go back to China to run for election for a spot at the National People's Congress. It will stay in Taiwan, of course, but it's in the wrong place.

Although the other party is Taiwanese and has made considerable contributions to democracy and other forms of progress, it has not shown that same spirit of democracy in the past few years.

In the past, it took great risks and worked with the public to put an end to martial law, the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion (動員戡亂時期臨時條款) and Article 100 of the Criminal Code. It brought about the election of the full legislature and presidential elections and protected our independence.

That same party has regressed to the point where it has denied our nation's freedom -- which it fought for with the public -- by suddenly saying that it is "moving toward Taiwanese independence."

Although these two parties will continue their incessant bickering, they share the same mind-set: One is a fossil of a party living in the past; the other is a new party that has turned its back on progress and is headed in the wrong direction.

There are two ways for Taiwan to establish a normal legislature. One is to reform the political parties, the other is to create new parties.

When I suggested earlier in the Chinese-language New Taiwan weekly that former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) take over as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, it was in the hope that the DPP would be able to win next year's legislative and presidential elections and move toward a normal legislature and a normal country.

Chen has long promoted reforming the DPP. He has academic training, a sense of mission and a strong willpower on politics.

When Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was appointed premier, Chen wrote to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) expressing his wish to take over the party chairmanship, but the request was rejected. With Yu Shyi-kun's resignation, the DPP can no longer block internal reform if it wants to win the legislature.

If the nation had a left-leaning social democratic party working for fair and just representation of the middle and lower middle classes, it would help establish modern parties.

The public regard the bickering legislature as a major problem. The new electoral system, which has small districts and a dual ballot system, requires that a candidate obtain the support of half of all voters to get elected. If new candidates were to step forward to confront those representing the old mind-set, they would be certain to win.

The next legislative elections will be a battle between the new nation and an old-fashioned legislature. Now is the time for all of us to take a stand.

Ruan Ming is a consultant at the Taiwan Research Institute.

Translated by Ted Yang
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