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Taiwan's democracy needs an upgrade

Just as the MSN Messenger in one's computer needs periodic upgrading, so Taiwanese democracy also needs to seek better and more advanced forms, a young panelist at a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) conference said yesterday.

The conference, hosted by the party and the Taiwan Young Democratic Union (TYDU), reviewed the history of Taiwan's democratic development and discussed challenges that lie ahead for the nation.

TYDU Chairman Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修), who presented an overview of the history of Taiwanese democracy at the conference, said youngsters are not only the witnesses of the nation's democratic development but also the driving force pushing Taiwanese democratic values.

"Democracy does not only mean the eradication of unfree regimes or just casting your ballots. Political participation starts from daily life and so does democracy," he said. "Youngsters will be the key [for Taiwan] to move toward `Democracy 2.0' ... democracy will be `upgraded' as more and more people participate in practicing democracy."

According to Chou, the country's young generation will be faced with the issue of transitional justice and with having an understanding of Taiwan's past which is put "closer to the real historical context."

"Youth in this generation will not be able to deny the fact that China is a rising power, but we are also concerned that the rising of China will constitute a test for Taiwan to insist on democratic values," he said.

National Youth Commission Chairwoman Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) told the conference that young people need to be encouraged to believe in politics in order to avoid a weakening of their dedication and participation in Taiwanese democracy.

DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, who delivered a speech at the conference, however, said the first thing to suspend should be President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) "four noes" made in 2000 because the promises restricted Taiwan's democratic development and hindered normalization of the nation.

After suspending the pledges, Yu said, Taiwan would have to move on to force the US to review its own "one-China" policy.
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