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DPP stalwart lashes out at party

While the DPP is ready to commence its presidential campaign, veteran DPP member Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏) yesterday lashed out at the party for failing to examine the causes of losing the Hualien County commissioner by-election.

Chang also criticized the DPP's advocated "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" formula proposed by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as a platitude to map out a new theme of national identity ahead of the presidential campaign.

Though the DPP had finished its examination of the by-election failure, Chang wasn't satisfied with the results, which he said only "touched lightly on the issues without significantly singling out the responsibilities."

In a letter of advice to be presented to President Chen at the DPP's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting tomorrow, Chang is going to tell Chen, who is also the party's chairman, that the DPP failed to make a comprehensive re-examination on its loss of the by-election.

The letter was termed by Chang as "seeking for the reexamination and regeneration of the soul of the DPP."

Chang said in the letter that "After the by-election loss, the party only took a few criticizing words for reexamination, which even blamed the loss on the population structure of Hualien County [that Hualien has a strong traditional base of support for the pan-blue camp].

"However, while the DPP has been the ruling administration for three years and it has used most of the government's resources, it still fails to change the pan-green and pan-blue voters' ratio of support from 30 percent against 70 percent to 40 against 60. In that regard, how could the DPP break through a similar 40 against 60 ratio of pan-green and pan-blue supporters in the presidential election?"

In addition, Chang also criticized the "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" formula as a "hackneyed tune" that is too weak for the upcoming presidential campaign battle.

"The DPP needs to introduce new strategies in order to make breakthroughs in its conservative base of support. If Chen still uses the "one country on each side" formula to fight the presidential campaign, it's like using old strategies for a new battle and the DPP would be doomed."

In response to Chang's sharp criticism, the party headquarters yesterday said he was just voicing his personal opinion.

However, some party officials disagreed with Chang's comments, saying Chang was making too early a judgment before the party finalizes its main theme for the presidential campaign.

"Chang had pinpointed `one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait' as the DPP's presupposed campaign theme. However, he's got the wrong directions," DPP legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said.

DPP Legislator Lan Mei-chin (藍美津) held the same point of view as Tuan, saying that "we are not even sure whether or not that is the main theme of our new campaign at this point."

Charles Chiang (江昭儀), however, supported Chang's advice and pointed out that Chang was just being cautious about the DPP's future.

"The Hualien by-election was a crisis for the DPP as well as a chance for the party to make successful changes to secure the more important presidential election."

The TSU, the DPP's long-term partner, however said that the "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" theme should serve the DPP well when pursuing the presidential election.

"We believe that this formula is the correct choice by the DPP. If it doesn't adapt in the campaign, the DPP won't be able to fight and win the presidential election," TSU deputy secretary general Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源) said yesterday.
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