Ketagalan Academy says its purpose is democracy

The head of the DPP's newly established talent training institute, the Ketagalan Academy, said yesterday that the academy is more than just a political party school and is designed to further the nation's democracy.

"The Ketagalan Academy is totally different from the KMT's National Research Institute, which is a school to enhance the ideology of their party members," said Ketagalan Academy superintendent Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟), who is also a former secretary-general to the president.

"Compared with the KMT's institute, there is a clear line between our academy and the DPP," he said.

"The academy's purpose and budget ... have no relationship with the DPP," Chen told reporters.

He said its only goal is to promote democracy.

The academy, which will be formally launched tomorrow, is the brainchild of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who expects the institute to nurture politically adept officials for roles in the DPP administration.

Campaign funds

Chen Shih-meng said that funding for the academy comes from neither the DPP nor the government, but comes from surplus money from President Chen's campaign.

According to Chen Shih-meng, President Chen has attributed his success to late DPP chairman Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介) and the president hopes the institute can further Huang's ideals.

However, opposition politicians and some academics said that, with the academy, the DPP appears to be forcing senior civil servants to join the party. They say the move violates the principle of allowing government officials to be politically neutral.

Moreover, some high-ranking officials, including those with the Government Information Office and Ministry of National Defense, have applied to be lecturers for the academy's first session, which will last two months.

Though students at the academy are predominantly government officials and DPP supporters, Chen Shih-meng said the institute does not require pupils to join the party.

Focus on democracy

"The KMT's institute requires all members to firmly accept the ideology of reunification and the `one China' principle," Chen said. "But our academy will only advocate the value of Taiwan's democratic achievements, instead of reviewing the political stance of its members."

"At first, we may focus on nurturing leaders from all fields, but we will also develop more inclusive sessions to encourage the participation of the public," he said.

The academy's first session begins tomorrow and is expected to include 40 participants.

Vice Minister of National Defense Lin Chong-Pin (林中斌) and National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Chao-ming (蔡朝明) both rejected invitations by the academy to serve as teachers at the session due to public anger over having military officials and intelligence agents playing a role in the party's institute.