Once again we are graced with People First Party Chairman James Soong's (宋楚瑜) desperate efforts to try to gain the media spotlight and keep open his faltering chances to run for the presidency in 2008.
Now Soong wants to be able to debate the president regularly on his position, ideas and attitudes toward China and Taiwan.
True, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has a responsibility to the people to indicate his agenda, which was done when he put forth his platform for the recent presidential elections. At that time both Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Soong had their chances to debate Chen.
After the election is decided, how-ever, the president does not have an obligation to continue debating with the legislature or any Tom, Dick or Harry who wants to gain the spotlight.
If Soong is eager for a debate, I suggest another topic. Let him debate his fitness to be a representative of Taiwanese democracy, whether in the legislature or in any position, after his notorious record as head of the Government Information Office (GIO) and his bilking the country out of millions of dollars -- which he allegedly used to purchase numerous properties in the US and elsewhere.
He can also debate his GIO record with any of the people who suffered imprisonment, torture or other violations of their rights during the Kaohsiung Incident and the period following it. At that time it was Soong's job to justify, excuse, and put a positive spin on the one-party totalitarian state's continued suppression of the nation's democratic movement.
As for his subsequent profiteering from his political offices and black gold, he can debate that with any concerned taxpayers. Clear up the past before you ask us to give you any consideration for the future.
Jerome Keating
Taipei
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