PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) recently lashed out at the ruling DPP saying, "Don't take for granted the support of the native-born Taiwanese people. Don't assume that they will back you, no matter how poorly you perform."
This statement reminds me of former DPP chairman (and current Kaohsiung mayoral candidate) Shih Ming-teh (施明德). Shih was put behind bars as a political prisoner for so long that it made him respectable. During the legislative elections, the people of Taiwan voted him into office to pay back the "debt" they owed him.
But once the debt is cleared, people in this country will give even heroes the cold shoulder if more repayments are demanded.
The DPP will definitely interpret Soong's every word as maliciously designed. It is quite natural that, between political enemies, all statements are made to benefit oneself at the expense of others. But the fact that Soong dared to say these things out loud should serve as a warning to the DPP.
The message that should cause alarm is that the DPP's governance has been so poor that few are clear about what touching feats the ruling party has actually accomplished in the past two years.
During the first two years of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) term, the public mood was generally expectant but impatient. The DPP passed the buck and blamed the opposition parties' detestable motives for its poor performance.
Whether or not the opposition parties were actually to blame, the DPP won the legislative elections in December last year. That means that Taiwanese people have already "paid back" the debt for the injustice the DPP had suffered in the past.
If the DPP wants to play the same old trick -- asking for sympathy and compassion -- in the upcoming Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections, and even the 2004 presidential polls, I am afraid people will only turn their backs with cruelty and indifference.
In last year's legislative elections, the DPP used every excuse it could think of. The party claimed, for instance, it was the "international economic environment" that resulted in Taiwan's rising unemployment and slow growth rate.
The government's argument basically was correct, but the impatient Taiwanese people cannot bear to hear the same excuse twice.
Facing such a difficult electoral environment, the DPP would do well to at least maintain its grassroots support. But the party seems to have gone off in the wrong direction.
At the Autumn March Chen did not give any response after unemployed workers dumped about 30 tonnes of trash in front of the Presidential Office.
Why did Chen not respond? Because he was too busy with municipal elections. On that same day, he was busy challenging Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to vow in front of the goddess Matsu at Kuantu Temple that Ma would complete his four-year tenure if re-elected.
Chen can get involved in election campaigns. But to neglect the voice of the workers is to put himself at a great disadvantage for the big election in 2004.
DPP legislators say they suspect that the Nov. 10 labor demonstration was launched under the banner of unemployed workers, but was actually orchestrated by "the Taipei City Government colluding with Beijing."
What a ludicrous statement.
When it comes to retaining political power, shouting on the stage to whip up popular support is just a PR stunt. Winning great popularity with good governance alone is the real thing.
Apparently, the DPP has concentrated on practicing its PR skills. As time goes by, it will find itself going against popular support. The more eager it is to practice publicity stunts, the less likely it is to succeed.
Chen Ro-jinn is a freelance writer.
Translated by Jackie Lin.
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