On Our Soldiers’ “Political Neutrality”:Examination of the Transfer of the Ruling Party（2000-2008）

• Main Authors: WANG HSIEN-CHENG, 王先正
• Other Authors: 洪陸訓
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/51453928632989741691

博士 === 國防大學政治作戰學院 === 政治研究所 === 96 === Whether the soldiers with legal military forces can maintain “political neutrality” and avoid being the tools of political conflicts among individuals, groups or parties is a key force for a country in the process of the democratic development and stability. It was in 2000 that we experienced the first transfer of the ruling party under the structure of the Constitution of the Republic of China and the Laws of National Defense. Although we are moving to the praxis of “Civilian Supremacy”, the soldiers’ political neutrality remains the operated issue between the ruling party and the opposition parties. Because of this, this dissertation aims to study the civil-military relations, the agency relationship and rights of our soldiers’ political neutrality based on the Institutional approach by means of the documental analysis and historical analysis. The study reveals as follows: first, our soldiers’ political neutrality is confined in the tug of war between the transfer of the ruling party and the opposition parties. Due to the lack of the system and norm for “the public,” what is taken into consideration is based on the usurpation or maintenance of power for the perspective of one’s own benefits. The problem of the soldiers’ political neutrality has lost its subjectivity and become an operative issue for the ruling and opposition parties to condemn each other. Then, the norm of the soldiers’ political neutrality will become a compromise or a random arrangement as a result of the power struggle among the political parties. Second, after the first transfer of the ruling party in 2000, our “civilian control” has presented the tendency of “subjective civilian control.” This reality reveals that “civilian control” does not necessarily lead to the realization of “military professionalism.” Moreover, the confinement of soldiers’ rights cannot always attain the goals of “military professionalism” or “civilian control.” Third, the soldiers’ neutrality belongs to the mutual management relationship between the two corresponding sides. It cannot be achieved only by one side. As a consequence, this dissertation provides the following suggestions: first, the soldiers’ political neutrality needs the value more above the “Civilian Supremacy;” that is, a spirit to maintain and defend our nation, democracy, democratic values, constitution and the rule of laws. Second, in the perspectives of academic researches, it is essential to focus on the development of the studies on “democratic control” and the subsequent examinations of the studies on deepening the soldiers’ political neutrality. Third, in the aspect of military practice, the soldiers’ personnel laws and promotion system should be under the supervision of the congress or the public opinions. Also, the soldier’s political warfare system should shoulder the functions and the roles of military democratization and socialization and strengthen the establishment and the internalization of democratic political education and value systems. Besides, soldiers should emphasize their citizenships more and take part in the civil society and activities. This not only assures everyone of equal and proper rights, but is also a way for every individual in his or her own post to effectively carry out his or her obligation as a civilian.