Taiwan must honor its words and strengthen its efforts to communicate with other countries, especially its friends, said Hsieh, who was in the United States to attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast as the envoy of President Chen Shui-bian.

Indeed, there is a serious credibility crisis in politics in Taiwan today. The latest instance occurred when former President Lee Teng-hui made a seemingly complete turn-about on his long-standing support for the Taiwan independence movement.

In an interview published by a widely circulated local magazine, Lee, touted as the godfather of Taiwan independence, said: “I have never advocated Taiwan independence.

“There is no need to pursue Taiwan’s independence because Taiwan is in fact an independent sovereign country.” Of course, Taiwan has already been a de facto sovereign state, but its official name is the ROC, not the “Republic of Taiwan”, a goal earnestly pursued by Taiwan separatists.

Scrambling to manage the crisis, the stunned members of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), of which Lee is the honorary chairman, attempted to clarify the controversy in a media advertisement in which Lee stressed he had never given up Taiwan independence.

In the ad Lee criticized the headline and the content of his interview in the magazine as “too simplified and sensational, easily leading to bias.” Unless he requested the magazine to retract or correct his remarks and demanded that the weekly apologize for its misquotations, Lee must bear the responsibility for glaring inconsistency in his political position.

It is not that politicians cannot honestly modify their views on national affairs as called for by changing circumstances.

But they must do so in such a way as not to raise questions about their honesty and dependability.

It is understandable, plausible and even commendable for Lee to try to alter some of his views on China in an effort to help the TSU win wider public support and to resolve the current gloomy economic woes in Taiwan by promoting cross-strait trade and financial exchanges. He should not, however, make a sweeping denial of his past advocacy of an independent Taiwan and then another denial of his apparently conflicting comments on the issue as published by the magazine. What is needed in terms of public perception is a clear and logical explanation by Lee of why he thinks he ought to change his stand now.

It appears that stubborn refusal to admit mistakes has become a fashion in Taiwan politics today as exemplified by President Chen’s attitude toward corruption charges against him, his family and his close aides.

Such a mentality may, sometimes, pay off in short-term political gains.

But, in the long run, no political benefit, whether domestic or international, will be derived from a serious credibility gap of politicians perceived as arrogant, insincere and unreliable.

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