KMT murdered democracy
The campaign theme of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) recent presidential run was “fairness and justice.”
Ironically, Tsai and her vice presidential candidate, Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), were the victims of unfairness and injustice in the election.
Early in the elections Su gave up his farmhouse in Pingtung in response to dubious accusations by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
The KMT used its huge assets against the impoverished DPP. The “three little pigs campaign” made the point that the DPP was running against a big bad wolf. However, it shows that the unfairness and injustice Tsai suffered in her campaign was in the present and progressive tense. Simply put, the theme was too weak and unconvincing.
Examples of the unfairness and injustice in the election include abuse of the government apparatus, the unprecedented voting date change, and the discounted airfares provided to Taiwanese businessmen in China, which amounted to a large-scale vote-buying scheme.
However, Tsai failed to address these issues effectively. She should have protested vigorously and even boycotted the whole election. Now, a precedent has been set and the KMT will not give up its new-found unfair advantages in the next round of elections. The KMT was never a democratic party. Before, it controlled Taiwan using martial law; now it wins elections using unfair advantages.
The elections in Taiwan were free, but not fair. Compared with the election in 2008, this is a big setback. Taiwan is not a democracy anymore, rather it is now an autocracy in disguise, where the KMT uses its unbridled political power to rig the elections and the DPP can do nothing about it.
There is no point or pride in Taiwanese taking part in this democratic shambles until the unfairness and injustice can be effectively addressed.
The Chinese Communist Party and the KMT have successfully killed democracy in Taiwan, while the US is a co-conspirator and the whole world just watches!
Yang Ji-charng
Columbus, Ohio
Makiyo owed an apology
I am pushed to make a comment about the state of the news media. I refer, in particular, to the broadcast media and some of the print media.
There were times during the recent election that I had a problem believing that there was such a thing as an “unbiased” news outlet. The latest example is the Makiyo incident.
Not one official has stated or in any way indicated that she is being charged with a crime related to the alleged assault on a taxi driver. Is she guilty of poor judgement? Probably. However, no formal charges have been filed as yet.
Yet this young woman is being demonized in both the press and on television as the “second coming of Beelzebub.” From newscasts I have watched and news stories I’ve read she has and is being crucified for the actions of a friend. If Taiwan is bemoaning that it is feeling some limitations on press freedom, maybe they need to do a little “self-policing” and clean up their own act.
Report the story! Get rid of the drama and personal suppositions that are coming out with every newscast. This woman is at least owed an apology for shoddy journalism.
Tom Kuleck
Greater Taichung
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By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
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