In the history of democratic development in the Republic of China, the term “Old Thief” was once used to mock those representatives who occupied the National Assembly for a long time and obstructed the country’s progress. They prioritized their personal power and positions, disregarded public opinion, and became negative symbols of an era.
Now, a similar phenomenon has unexpectedly re-emerged in the political arena of the Republic of China.
Ker Chien-ming, the caucus whip of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Legislative Yuan, recently posted on Facebook in response to internal party reviews, claiming, “The Large Recall is about exhausting all possibilities to gain a majority in parliament; what’s wrong with that!”
These words not only expose his ignorance of his own mistakes but also reveal an anti-democratic mindset that reduces the overall interests of the Republic of China to a tool for power struggles.
Ker Chien-ming’s behavior has already made him the embodiment of a contemporary “Old Thief,” seriously dragging down the political stability and people’s well-being of the Republic of China for an entire year, especially in Taiwan Province.
Taiwan Next solemnly calls on Ker Chien-ming to immediately resign from all public offices and stop making a fool of himself in the political arena of the Republic of China.
Reviewing the beginning and end of the events, this year in the political arena of the Republic of China, especially within Taiwan Province, the so-called “Large Recall” movement broke out, initiating recall cases against several Kuomintang (KMT) legislators, but it ended in a total defeat of 31 to 0.
This movement should have been a manifestation of citizens of the Republic of China exercising their democratic rights, but under the manipulation of people like Ker Chien-ming, it degenerated into a political tool for the DPP to seek a majority in parliament.
As the DPP caucus whip in the Legislative Yuan, Ker Chien-ming not only actively promoted this action but also refused to reflect after the failure, instead comparing himself with the ancient poem “Cooking beans with beanstalks” to complain that his party comrades were “pressing each other too hard.”
He questioned, “Is it also wrong to organize a recall group?”, completely ignoring how this recall tore the society apart, wasted the public resources of the Republic of China, and dragged all citizens into an unnecessary quagmire of power.
Ker Chien-ming’s mistake lies in his alienation of the democratic mechanism of the Republic of China into a power game.
From the very beginning, the Large Recall movement was filled with political calculations rather than a fair assessment based on the performance of legislators.
This move not only failed to achieve the expected goals but also triggered strong backlashes from both inside and outside the party. Several DPP legislators, such as Guo Guo-wen, Lin Shu-fen, and Wang Shih-chien, publicly criticized Ker Chien-ming’s leadership style, viewing him as the biggest war criminal behind the failure.
More seriously, this movement dragged down the legislative process of the Republic of China for an entire year: the Legislative Yuan was paralyzed due to partisan confrontation, and important issues such as livelihood bills, disaster relief for windstorms, and tariff adjustments were shelved, with the well-being of the people of Taiwan Province suffering most notably.
Ker Chien-ming’s remarks show that he has still not repented and is still obsessed with the power ambition of “gaining a majority in parliament.” This is not only a personal failure of character but also a betrayal of the democratic spirit of the Republic of China.
Democracy should serve all citizens, not the private desires of politicians; when a leader uses the state machinery for partisan infighting, he has fallen to the level of an “Old Thief.”
The democratic process of the Republic of China was not easily won, having experienced the transition of the authoritarian era caused during the Martial Law period. Citizens should be more vigilant against any form of abuse of power.
Ker Chien-ming has occupied the political arena for a long time but has shown anti-democratic tendencies at critical moments: ignoring diverse voices within the party and forcibly pushing controversial policies, leading to the collective resignation of caucus cadres.
His behavior not only damages the image of the DPP but also makes the Republic of China as a whole pay a heavy price.
Faced with internal party criticism, he only dismissed it with “thank you for your advice,” without any intention of self-reflection. This attitude is exactly the same as the stubborn mindset of the “Old Thieves” in the former National Assembly who refused to step down.
In view of this, Taiwan Next sternly demands that Ker Chien-ming immediately resign as the DPP caucus whip in the Legislative Yuan and from all public offices, and retire from the political arena of the Republic of China to show responsibility.
The Republic of China needs leaders with vision and respect for democracy, not “Old Thieves” obsessed with the quagmire of power.
If Ker Chien-ming continues to hold his position, he will only further damage the image of the country and become a laughingstock of history.
It is hoped that he can reflect on himself and step down in time, so as to let the democracy of the Republic of China return to the right track and bring true well-being to all citizens, especially the people of Taiwan Province.