Mon, Jun 14, 2004 page8

• Some words are better left unsaid by leaders

  • By Ku Er-teh顧爾德
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  Pan-blue legislators have accused President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration of being an "illegitimate government." Chen has replied that in that case, they are "accepting false wages." Chen has also said that Wu Rong-ming's (吳容明) appointment to the Examination Yuan is proof that the legislators recognize the government. This prompted retorts from People First Party (PFP) members saying Chen was "acting innocent" and "putting salt on their wounds," and that he failed to show magnanimity.

  Are Chen's comments on the Wu case correct? As far as purpose and result are concerned, he is perfectly correct. He used a former deputy of PFP ChairmanJames Soong's (宋楚瑜) to test the political strength of pan-blue resistance. He not only tested whether the pan-blues had the resolve to resist what they declared to be an illegitimate government, but whether they had the ability to do so.

  Put simply, Chen hopes that if the pan-blues can be persuaded to play by the rules and thereby be brought into the political structure, it will be increasingly hard for them to maintain that this structure doesn't rest on a legitimate political foundation. There are many issues more important than that of "the two bullets."

  For example, there is the matter of arms purchases. Legislators from both the blue and green camps feel that footing the huge bill for the US weapons might be a waste of money. But what about US pressure? It is not confined to the ruling party, but is felt by pan-blue legislators as well.

  Then there is the pension issue. Both camps are under pressure from their supporters, who include both labor and management, to resolve this issue. Solving such problems is practical, substantial and much more helpful to voters.

  Even issues relating to various legislators themselves, such as the possible effects of the participation of Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) supporters in the year-end legislative elections on their own electoral hopes and the passage of legislative reforms, are all more important than what these obstructionists call "finding the truth."

  As for what Chen said, the blue camp should just admit: "Chen got us!" Unfortunately, in terms of practical political interests, this is true. And politically speaking, it allows the debate between the greens and the blues to descend from the heights of bitter acrimony to a routine style of debate.

  Chen may well have got the pan-blues on this one, but not so the electorate, the majority of whom are hoping for a return to political normalcy to enable important issues to be dealt with. Nevertheless, a number of recent statements makes one doubt this will happen.

  Following the election, Chen probably felt indignant at the accusations, and his supporters were forced to keep quiet in order to avoid confrontations. Consequently, now that things have calmed down, Chen has on several occasions made his feelings known, criticizing pan-blue politicians as well as some members of the public who had doubted him. These sentiments cancel out the soft approach and friendly overtures of before.

  Everybody understands that comments on cross-straits issues are sometimes intended for Beijing, sometimes for Washington and sometimes, during elections, for the electorate.

  Chen, Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and the blue and green camps all have to desist from using certain words that confuse internal disagreements with conflict between mutual enemies, words that are both meaningless and harmful to public sentiment. Words, phrases and names such as "illegitimate government," "false wages" and "Hitler" are meaningless, full of animosity and best left unsaid.

  Ku Er-teh is a freelance writer.

  Translated by Ian Bartholomew
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