Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-te's (
Dreaming of a Greater China and calling for direct links across the Taiwan Strait, Shih veered away from the DPP's political platform several years ago and he eventually left the party. Surely Shih's chances of winning in December are as slim as those of another former DPP chairman, Hsu Hsin-liang (
movement.
Politicians usually have a strong sense of mission as well as a strong desire for power. It is distressing, however, to see the almost suicidal inclinations of Taiwan's older generation of politicians, no matter what their ideology. In mature democracies, politicians are often take on a completely different role once they leave office -- Jimmy Carter's globetrotting for the Carter Center's programs for peace and better health around the world is a prime example. But for Taiwan's activists and politicians, politics is their lifeblood. A rare exception to the rule so far is former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
The early opposition leaders paid a heavy price for their devotion to democracy. Shih spent more than two decades in prison because of the Kaohsiung Incident. Hsu was blacklisted by the KMT and forced into exile for more than a decade. But now most of the ideals they fought for for so long for have become reality and the party they struggled to build is now in power. Giving orders and engaging in conflict are part and parcel of their personalities, not following orders and coordinating with others. At odds with the current party leadership, they can only search for another battlefield.
But is not just Shih and Hsu who can't let go of politics. Former president Lee Teng-hui (
Shih's defeat in last year's legislative elections highlighted the gap between his views and those of the general public. His chances in the Kaohsiung mayoral race are even slimmer. Only the "pan blue" camp stands to benefit from the situation. It looks as if political ideals have lost out to personal grudges in Taiwanese politics once again.
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