The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should value criticisms made by its members and pan-green supporters against President Chen Shui-bian (
"In a diverse society, different voices must be tolerated," said Ku Chung-hwa (
Instead of engaging in emotional disputes, Ku said that the DPP must address more urgent issues such as constitutional reform.
Ku said he did not think the DPP's factional squabbles would cause a rift in the party because that would take more than factional bickering.
"There are so many other elements involved, including how Chen responds to the pan-green academics' demand and how the party tackles the current crisis," he said.
"The DPP must handle the matter very carefully or it will risk broadening the unrest in the party and with pan-blue supporters," he said.
DPP factions have been engaging in a fierce debate over whether Chen should step down after a group of "pan-green" academics asked Chen to consider resigning because they said he had lost credibility and the trust of voters.
Faction members have also been attacking each other after Chen canceled a meeting with DPP lawmakers and party heavyweights scheduled for Monday. DPP Legislator Lin Shu-shan (林樹山) of the New Tide faction criticized Chen for damaging the DPP's image and demanded that Chen relinquish his party membership.
But DPP Spokesman Tsai Huang-liang (
Lin's criticism irritated mem-bers of the Justice Alliance faction, of which Chen is a co-founder.
DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) criticized Lin for pretending to be "morally lofty" and capitalizing on the party's plight. Lin responded by saying that it would be a disaster for the DPP if the Justice Alliance opted to be Chen's "eunuch."
Lee Shiao-feng (
While some in the pan-blue camp have since criticized Chen for playing a "sympathy card" by invoking the health of his wife to resolve the crisis, Lee said it was "inhumane" for pan-blue supporters to make such a "ruthless remark."
"They have never had any sympathy since the 228 Incident [in 1947]; let alone any compassion for the first lady," he said. "It is sad that this society does not share common values. Until this day, we still don't know what caused the first lady's devastating car accident."
First lady Wu Shu-jen
Over the past few months, intimate family matters of the first family have been leaked to the media, including the deteriorating condition of the wheelchair-bound Wu and her "plea" for a divorce in the hope that it could spare Chen from damage relating to the Sogo voucher allegations that has seen Wu questioned by prosecutors.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) reportedly said he felt "disgusted" at the move, while former political prisoner Chi Wan-sheng (紀萬生), one of the pan-green academics calling for Chen's resignation, has described the disclosure of Chen's personal matters to the media as a "cheap tragedy."
Ku said it was understandable for Lee Teng-hui to make his remark because it would be to the advantage of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, for which he serves as spiritual leader, in distancing itself from Chen and expanding its political space.
Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (李南陽) yesterday dismissed the allegation that Chen was playing the "sympathy card," saying that Chen may have shared his feelings with close friends but never expected them to disclose their conversations to the public.
"We hope the public can stop politicizing the matter and look at it from a positive perspective," he said.
But in a bid to better inform the public about the condition of the first lady, David Lee said the Presidential Office might ask the first family's medical team to brief the media and the public at an appropriate time.
Meanwhile, commenting on the DPP's plan to have the party first approve government policies initiated by the Executive Yuan, Ku said he did not think such a process would resemble the way the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) conducted its affairs when it was in power.
"The DPP simply does not have the tradition nor the mechanism to let the party dictate government policy," he said.
"It is a good thing that the Executive Yuan discusses government policies with the party before making a joint decision," he said.
Besides, he said, it was only natural that the two agencies should work more closely together after Chen announced that he would delegate powers to Premier Su Tseng-chang (
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