ONE PARTY RULE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26606, 31 October 1947, Page 4

ONE PARTY RULE

Although the Kuomintang Government in China assiduously solicits the support of the Western democracies in its long and bitter struggle with the Communists, it£ domestic policy of almost totalitarian rule is hardly calculated to encourage either the United States or Great Britain to commit themselves further in what must now be recognised as an uncertain political and economic investment. American public opinion, in particular, which up to the present time has approved .'of the expenditure of millions of dollars in an endeavour to stabilise conditions in China, will be affronted by the action of the Kuomintang in outlawing the only opposition political party in the Nationalist-controlled area. The Liberal Democratic League has always led a precarious existence under Kuomintang rule. It had no legal authority for its existence and no political power in fact, but it represented nevertheless an important body of moderate opinion in China and, especially in recent months it has received an increasing measure of support from influential Chinese who have seen all hope of national unity dispelled by manifestations of political intransigence in both the Kuomintang and Communist parties. Had it been permitted to participate in the forthcoming elections it might have mustered a formidable opposition to the Kuomintang in the National Assembly. , The existence of the Liberal Democratic League has been quoted by some writers to refute the suggestion that the Kuomintang governs as an outright dictatorship. The League includes a number of political organisations, including the Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party, the National Salvationists and the Reconstruction Association. In general, its policy has been one of advocating urgently-needed reforms in the manner of government and of ending the war between the Kuomintang and the Communists by conciliation. Many of the nation’s most distinguished intellectuals joined the league, and just before the Pacific war the leaders of the party felt strong enough to issue a manifesto calling on the Government to eliminate one-party control and organise the people in a democratic manner for the struggle against Japan. These demands were refused and some of the petitioners were forced to flee the country. Later, in 1943, the Kuomintang authorised the formation of a People’s Political Council as a concession to democratic opinion. The council had no power of legislation, but it provided a forum on which the representatives of the various political parties could air their views. Even this privilege will now be denied the Democratic League, and the outlawing of the party supports the opinion that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek has not departed in any way from the policy he enunciated in his book, “ China’s Destiny,” in which he insisted that there could be only one leader and one party in China, and that party was the Kuomintang.