It is often difficult to predict how things will develop, and we sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry at the results. Wang Li-ping (
Corruption is a complicated issue. It will not disappear because a sit-in protest tries to bring down an individual; rather, its minimization involves a serious and difficult political, economic and social process persistently pursued over the long term.
When it was revealed that the housekeeper of President Chen Shui-bian's (
But corruption is not the preserve of a single person or party. As the pan-blue and "red" camps accuse the government of graft, former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Chen Che-nan (
And although Wu Chun-li (
Hsu has the right of appeal, and only if the second instance renders a verdict of "guilty" can the Ministry of the Interior discharge Hsu. Asking for his resignation now is only a political and moral demand.
So despite the present anti-Chen campaign, it would seem to a neutral observer that the KMT has greater problems with corruption than the DPP.
We all hope to eliminate corruption, but that goal must not take precedence over the rule of law, and it must not be turned into a moral or political issue that disregards the law. If it does, it will become a trial in the court of public opinion. Experience tells us that even though corruption charges may be shocking, they do not always lead to a guilty verdict.
If people really want to punish corruption, they should bridge the gap between morality and legality, such as amending the law regulating civil servants' use of public funds, relaxing the conditions constituting a corruption charge, and stipulating that all government officials should be stood down if found guilty by a court in the first instance.
If the public insists that ousting every politician accused of a misdemeanor will eradicate corruption, the power to appoint and remove government officials will be in the hands of the media.
Because the scandal involving the Presidential Office is still under investigation, it is too early to predict the outcome. Forcing Chen to resign based on sensational accusations in the media and by lawmakers is unacceptable. The corruption charges against the first family are still under investigation, which means the first family is neither indicted nor sentenced. The public should give the judiciary more time and space.
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