Following the 2014 Sunflower movement, the slogan “If the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) does not fall, Taiwan will never get well” became commonplace during the nine-in-one elections that year and during the 2016 presidential and general election.
It reflected public sentiment and the political atmosphere at the time. In 2016 election, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) defeated the pro-China, pro-unification KMT in a landslide victory.
While the sentiment behind the slogan was justified, and although the KMT has a blood-stained history, having ruled the nation with an iron fist for half a century, it also went through a democratization process, which allowed Taiwan to evolve into a peaceful democracy.
In a democratic political system, it is reasonable for the KMT to be given a chance to go through a period of introspection, reform and renewal to become a democratic party that identifies with Taiwan and holds the government to account as it performs the role of a loyal opposition party.
However, in the past four years, the KMT’s conduct has been utterly disappointing. There has been no meaningful self-reflection, no reform and no identification with Taiwan.
Instead, the KMT continues to cling to its dream of unification with China as it surrenders to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and remains hell-bent on selling out Taiwan.
The party clearly reveled in Burkina Faso’s severing of diplomatic relations with Taiwan, kicking the government while it was down in yet another sign that the KMT is not a democratic Taiwanese party performing its duty as an opposition party, but rather a stooge for Beijing and a fifth column working for the enemy.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) response was crystal clear when she said in a news conference that Taiwan — not the “Republic of China” — would no longer be “patient and accommodating” toward China — not “the mainland.”
US and British media reported Tsai’s reaction as “defiant” and resolute on Taiwanese independence.
The reaction from KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起), former minister of foreign affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) and others has been to condemn Tsai for having brought this on herself.
They have said that Tsai’s refusal to recognize the so-called “1992 consensus” and Beijing’s “one China” principle is why diplomatic allies are cutting relations with Taiwan. According to their warped logic, Tsai — not Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — is in the wrong.
Ou went even further, daring Tsai to declare independence.
The stupidity is astounding. Of course Tsai is gunning for independence — what else does the KMT think Tsai and her party stand for?
Also, the KMT really should reflect on its own dismal record. In more than half a century, its leaders, from Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), have all promised to “take back the mainland,” “liberate our fellow compatriots” and “unite China.” How has that worked out?
Having failed to achieve these goals, the party is selling out Taiwan and waiting for annexation. Not only is the KMT failing to perform its role as a loyal opposition party, it has set itself up as a mortal enemy of the nation.
At November’s nine-in-one elections, the public must rally together to face off the increasingly serious threat from authoritarian China and terminate the KMT at the ballot box.
It is high time that this moribund party was swept into the dustbin of history.
Chiou Chwei-liang is a professor at the University of Queensland, Australia.
Translated by Edward Jones
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