DPP plans

The Taipei Times article on the DPP's reform wasn't bad, and this analysis was good, but it lacked a lot of the information found in the Liberty Times article that I found both valuable and reassuring. Basically, it turns out the DPP is not as out of touch with reality as I feared. Some choice comments from the Page 2 articles:

不過，台南市長許添財點名民進黨當前的問題不是定位路線而是能力，必須提升黨的能力讓人民信賴，黨不只是消極監督執政黨而是趕快取代執政黨；也有中常委私下質疑說，黨中央設立多個委員會能發揮什麼實質功能？

However, Tainan Mayor Hsu Tien-Tsai (許添財) noted that the DPP's problem is not in deciding the party's general direction [AGu: we do seem to know the core party goals, right?] but rather in its ability. The DPP must improve its ability [to govern] in order to win the people's trust. The goal is not to simply act as a watch dog of the ruling party, but to replace the ruling party quickly. One DPP Central Standing Committee member also said privately that they are not sure about the true usefulness of establishing consultation committees [the party's main action yesterday].

施正鋒（東華大學原住民民主學院院長）

民進黨若只討論走議會或群眾路線是搞錯方向，因為現在連目標是什麼都不清楚，就好像只討論要坐高鐵還是搭火車、或是坐飛機，卻不知道自己到底要去高雄還是花蓮、宜蘭；若只討論手段跟方法，等於是無頭蒼蠅。

民進黨應把過去八年的執政政見拿出來一一檢視，做到多少？有多少是食言而肥？沒做到的部份應向選民道歉，許多民眾討厭國民黨，但不見得就會支持民進黨，因為 人民對民進黨失望到底，所以現在應重建人民信心，民進黨也要重新定位，告訴我們，你民進黨這個店到底要賣什麼？

[Professor] Shih Cheng-feng (施正鋒) noted that it would not be useful for the DPP to merely debate whether it will be a legislative or a social movement, because even the party's goals are not clear right now. It's like debating if you will take the High Speed Rail or the train, or whether you'd rather fly, without knowing whether you're going to Kaohsiung, Hualian or Yilan. If the DPP merely discusses what they're doing to do and how, they'll be acting like a headless house fly.

The DPP ought to examine the experience of its eight years in power one item at a time. What did the party accomplish? How often was the party forced to eat its words? The party should apologize to the people for the goals it could not accomplish. Lots of people dislike the KMT, but that doesn't mean they'll be DPP voters, because the people are already greatly disappointed in the DPP. So the party must now re-win the confidence of the people, and establish a new orientation. Tell the people: what is it that the DPP is selling?

蔡丁貴 （公投護台灣聯盟召集人）

對於社會力量，民進黨嘴巴上雖講支持，實際上卻不當作一回事，過去民進黨會輸是有原因的，反對黨應要有眼光，勇敢站出來，呼籲民眾並運用人民力量共同建立 長治久安政治環境，不要只停留在縣市輸贏、立委席次多寡，應拉高思考層級，否則在目前遊戲規則下，與國民黨怎麼玩都會輸。

Professor Tsai Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴) said that in terms of social power, the DPP talks the talk, but hasn't done anything for [social interest/activist groups]. In the past the DPP lost for this reason. An opposition party needs to have vision and bravely stand up Call on the people to use their power, working together to establish an environment suitable for long-term, stable [DPP] governance. There's no need to get stuck on whether the DPP will win the mayoral/county commissioner elections this year, or in how many legislators the party has. Instead the party has to think smarter, or under the current rules of the game, no matter what the DPP does, they'll lose to the KMT.