The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) marked its 17th anniversary yesterday, having spent three years in power and facing a presidential election next March.
Having come to office with so many ideals, many are now wondering if the party has kept the faith, the passion of its original beliefs and its founding spirit.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Some wonder whether it has compromised to the level of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which it used to detest for its decadence and dictatorial rule.
Critics say the DPP has lost its core values and learned the KMT's dirty tricks over the past three years.
DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) said that central to the DPP's beliefs is its reformist vision to further localization, push for democratic politics, support social welfare and promote environmental protection.
"Right now, however, some of these values have been compromised," Lee said.
"The Alliance of Justice and Fairness, or the pan-purple alliance, criticized the DPP for ingratiating itself with the rich and for siding with business syndicates," he said.
"Financial reform of the farmers' and fishermen's cooperatives was withdrawn due to a lack of confidence and fierce opposition from farmers, who used to be staunch supporters of DPP," he added.
Lee said current relations between the DPP and the KMT are like "the pot calling the kettle black."
He said that, although the DPP has made certain compromises, it doesn't necessarily mean the party is a replica of the KMT.
Although the DPP has started to establish ties with local cliques, which used to be under the control of the KMT, the party would never allow someone like former KMT cashier Liu Tai-ying (
"It is because the DPP is bound by democratic politics and its founding spirit," Lee said.
DPP Legislator Julian Kuo (郭正亮) said the party's image has slipped and its ability to conduct self-examination has been undermined.
Kuo said the party used to be favored by the working class due to its long-standing support for labor. But as the party came to power, the Labor Affairs Council was accused of siding with capitalists.
The people feel that the DPP favors the interests of capitalists, which can be seen in the corporate tax reduction, while the middle-class faces an increased tax burden.
"The union workers of Chunghwa Telecom surrounded the legislature last week to protest the government's privatization policies. These workers used to be staunch DPP supporters," Kuo said.
"But as the ruling party, the DPP failed to solve problems for them. It's useless for rank-and-file members to conduct re-examination while the party brass is deaf and ignorant. It's too late to make self-inspection until they lose the election battle next year," Kuo said.
The loss of the Taipei City mayoral election and the Hualien County commissioner by-election also dealt the party a blow.
"In the past, people stepped down to take responsibility for mistakes, but now, no one is doing that," Kuo said.
Facing public criticism, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) acknowledged the party must be aware of people's complaints, especially its soured relationships with labor unions.
Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), deputy director of the DPP's Information and Culture Department, said, "These are all warnings that the party must keep its ability to allow the expression of different opinions."
Despite criticism and warnings of a diminished party, the DPP yesterday made legislative reform and the holding of referendums its major administrative goals and its birthday wish. The maturing of discussions on referendums might be one of the most rewarding moments for the party and show how it has come a long way in seeing the roots of the nation's democracy deepen.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS