The Arrogance and Insolence of the DPP Clearly Reveals the Importance of Checks and Balances by the Opposition Party & Media

At the Central Standing Committee (CSC) today (10/14), Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang Chi-chen announced that the Committee would successively discuss several topics: the Tainan train track demolition project, which will force residents in the area to relocate, has moved forward rapidly, causing the Rinari tribe's long-time residence to be torn down, triggering a self-immolation; NTD$306 worth of political donations being met with meticulous Control Yuan investigation; an entertainer wishing the country happy birthday on Facebook and surprisingly being criticized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); and long-controversial pork containing ractopamine residue (racto-pork) imports being entirely allowed via executive order with little communication and discussion. Chairman Chiang emphasized that the piling up and accumulation of all these incidents has revealed the arrogance and insolence of the DPP, and clearly reveals the importance of oversight of the ruling party from the opposition party and the media.

Chairman Chiang stated that the National Communications Commission (NCC), on October 26th, will convene a meeting regarding Chung T'ien Television's (CTITV) satellite broadcast television business license renewal. This unprecedented hearing will not only decide the fate of television channels, but also the livelihood of everyone working in the media. Even worse, this hearing will decide whether or not there will be a chilling effect on the media in Taiwan, leading to democratic regress and weakening of supervisory authority of the media.

The conflict of ideas between the positions of CTITV and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government is clear. The broadcasting censorship of the NCC actually went as far as convening a hearing specifically tailored for CTITV in a murky fog of undeclared prerequisites for examination, leading the people to have become concerned that the NCC had reached a final decision long ago. The NCC is unable to properly supervise the media and has already made a denouncement, ostensibly for the sake of the people, directly attacking a news outlet that strongly criticized the authorities in office. This not only strangles and injures the NCC's public trust, but also harms the media. In the future, the media will be afraid of political consequences and change in accordance with examination, it to be incapable of exhibiting proper supervising power.

Chairman Chiang emphasized that the KMT hereto makes the appeal that although different viewpoints are permitted in politics, the public should rise up together to defend freedom of the press because this freedom is a democratic and constitutional value of the Republic of China (ROC). Before the NCC issues its decision, the KMT will still, once again, call upon the NCC to defend the objectiveness and fairness of independent groups, refuse to allow the ruling party to malignantly manipulate matters in secret, hand down a fair decision, and defend a free press reporting environment.

Chairman Chiang further pointed out that recently the KMT has taken note that mainland government media, over the course of three days, has continuously released news about the alleged stealing of confidential information by several Taiwanese spies. In addition to calling upon the DPP government to engage in all out negotiations in order to allow the innocent to return to Taiwan as quickly as possible, the KMT also hopes that the relevant departments on the mainland deeply think about the difference between a dissident and a spy, adequately ensure the rights of the implicated person, and properly handle the relevant case in a public, transparent, and just manner.

Chairman Chiang stated that at present, the tensions between the two sides of the Strait are escalating. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities exploit the media to expose the workings of the “espionage” case, not only failing to provide the implicated person a mechanism for a fair trial, but also failing to help cross-Strait exchanges. On the contrary, this exploitation has become a tool for the DPP to manipulate their anti-China sentiments. The ostensible goodwill of cross-Strait talks in the speech that President Tsai delivered on ROC National Day was like flowing water, leaving no trace in the clamor of anti-China sentiments.

Chairman Chiang points out that, during the current malicious spiral of worsening cross-Strait relations, the KMT still believes that both sides of the Strait should continue to communicate and raise mutual trust instead of targeting each other with hostile attitudes. A country’s leader must not only possess the ability to endure shrill voices, but should also bravely defend the peoples’ right to express different opinions. The KMT calls upon the ruling parties on both sides of the Strait to display the benevolence of forgiving nonconformists, respecting different opinions, facing prudently the current difficult situation, and carefully considering together the peaceful development of the two sides in the Taiwan Strait.