The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) extraordinary national congress yesterday approved a new internal regulation that forces party members serving in an official capacity to withdraw from party factions. At the same time, with the support of President Chen Shui-bian (
Legislator Wang Sing-nan (
To meet party members' expectations for party reform to counter the negative influence of factions on the DPP's future, Chen, who also serves as party chairman, asked the DPP's central headquarters to draw up a clause restricting factionalism. This clause demands that all Cabinet officials and all officials of the party headquarters withdraw from factions or face penalties.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
The proposal to abolish factions boiled down to a battle between the New Tide and the rest of the party at yesterday's national congress.
"If the political operation of any country in the world becomes less corrupt and more intelligent because of the existence of factions, if the government of any country in the world worsens because of the lack of factions, and if the DPP will collapse because of the abolishment of factions, then I am willing to withdraw my proposal," Wang said at yesterday's meeting.
Lee Wen-chuang (李文忠), leader of the New Tide, countered by saying that party factions exist in all democratic countries, because politics develops out of competition between different ideals.
"We agree that the way factions operate should be reviewed and needs to be guided in a more positive direction, but the suggestion to abolish factions will be a joke as far as democracy is concerned," Lee said.
"The rumors and suspicions about vote-buying during our party's primary election of the legislator-at-large nominees indicate that a lack of positive factional operation will only lead to a highly unstable situation within the party," Lee said.
Legislator Chen Chin-te (陳金德), a member of the New Tide, said that Wang's proposal to abolish factions violates the spirit of the Constitution, which clearly protects the people's right to free assembly.
Legislator Trong Chai (
"Please, let's not be so naive, the efforts of party factions have nothing to do with Taiwan's future, they are just fighting for a private group's interests," he said.
Lin Chung-mao (
Chen, a founder of the Justice faction, asked Lin not to take such a harsh stance on the issue, saying, "I voted for you during the last legislative election."
Chen endorsed the clause restricting factions, rather than abolishing them altogether, stressing that the existence of factions has contributed to the DPP's development and has had significant meaning in the party's history.
"We must admit that there are problems to be found in the operations of the party's factions, but terminating all factions is obviously a much bigger problem. I hope that those who hold different opinions will demonstrate understanding and support my decision," Chen said.
Chen said that the involvement of faction members in the government system should be completely restricted, save for the reason of uniting to win the year-end legislative election.
In addition, arguments in favor of abolishing all factions should be put to rest for the time being, Chen said.
The New Tide is the best organized faction within the DPP, and its influence has expanded quickly since it's leaders successfully became Chen's most trusted aides in early 2000.
National Security Council Sec-retary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) and Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁), former campaign spokesman for the president and now the new chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange, stand at the head of the New Tide. Other senior members of the faction currently serve as Cabinet deputy ministers.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was originally a member of the Welfare State faction, which was founded by Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), but became an ally of the New Tide in a bid to become Chen's successor as the DPP's presidential candidate in 2008.
‘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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as