Dropping primaries certain to hurt DPP

Dropping primaries certain to hurt DPP By Chin Heng-wei 金恒煒 Former transportation and communications minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) have expressed interest in running for Taipei and New Taipei City mayor respectively, but have been stuck in political limbo due to a lack of primaries. Their problem is not whether they could win a primary, it is that they cannot even gain admission to the game. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), whom DPP supporters widely expect to run for Taipei mayor, could eventually be picked by the party, but as the party gradually loses momentum due to a delay in making nominations, Chen said that he no does not want to be a “spare tire.” Of the local seats up for grabs on Nov. 26, the Taipei and New Taipei mayoral positions are the most important. If the decision about who represents the DPP in those elections is decided by party chairperson President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) alone, without any primaries, would voters accept them? Has the party not sensed the danger here? The DPP Central Executive Committee last year approved special regulations allowing the party chairperson to nominate mayoral and commissioner candidates in the six special municipalities. Neither Lin nor Lo voiced objections to the move, so they are partly to blame for their situation, as they failed to protest the deterioration of the party’s traditional democratic principles. They not only hurt their own rights, but those of other party members. They have no leg to stand on with their complaints. The abolition of primaries leaves no mechanism to ensure fair competition. The 19th-century historian John Dalberg-Acton, better known as Lord Acton said that “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” His remark encapsulates the negative consequences of power without constraint. Apart from corruption, such power inevitably stifles competence. Tsai delaying the direct appointment of mayoral candidates until the last minute is disrespectful to all mayoral hopefuls, and shows contempt for local voters. It is also a lost opportunity for the party to demonstrate decisiveness. This is what incompetence under a dictatorship looks like. The controversy over the early retirement of former National Police Agency director-general Chen Ja-chin (陳家欽) last month serves as another example. After stepping down, Chen accused Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) of intervening in police personnel affairs. Hsu said that such power belonged to him, and that the former police head’s accusation was laughable. However, Hsu was not quite right. Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) once said that the president is in charge of the “eight major intelligence units” through the National Security Bureau of the National Security Council, which reports directly to the Presidential Office. While the president has that prerogative, respect for the professionals within an agency should be an overriding concern. Without regard for their independence, the National Police Agency would hardly be able to lead a force of 80,000. Under the Organizational Act of the National Security Bureau (國家安全局組織法), the bureau is responsible for the guidance, coordination and support of the nation’s major intelligence units, including the National Police Agency. How, then, did problems get out of control? It is clearly a result of the president’s incompetence. The next concern is whether the police force of 80,000 will be able to keep it together. Chin Heng-wei is a political commentator. Translated by Eddy Chang