Since the National Assembly has amended the Constitution to extend its current term, in violation of basic democratic principles, it is hardly surprising that deputies are coming under intense fire.
There is of course one saving grace about this circus; the deputies also passed a measure to introduce freeze elections and introduce selection of deputies in the future according to a system of proportional representation. This is at least one ray of hope at the end of a long dark tunnel.
Actually, this show is far from over. What we have just seen is only the first episode of an occasional mini-series set to keep us on the edge of our seats for some time to come.
According to the latest trailers, the next episode will feature Speaker Su Nan-cheng (蘇南成) and his crew inviting 60 experts and scholars from across Taiwan to a conference to formulate a new set of provisional articles similar to Hong Kong's Basic Law, which they think should replace the admittedly absurd and woefully anachronistic Constitution currently in effect. That Su has been expelled from th KMT -- an unusually harsh response from a party normally overly tolerent of waywardness and lost his party-bestowed post as speaker, does no auger well for the plan, however.
Nevertheless the DPP, not to be outdone, was quick to make a tit-for-tat response, saying they will also organize a conference and explore ways to write a new Constitution. These developments, which have made the term extension saga a mere overture, are likely to have serious consequences to Taiwan politics, most of them malign.
Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who has been racing against time in his bid to finish up parliamentary reform before he steps down as president, did not hesitate to use the term extension proposal as a bargaining chip to strike a political deal. We can understand his sense of urgency in this regard, but discussing a new Constitution or provisions for a Basic Law with a presidential election in the offing will only serve to further undermine the basic principles of democracy.
The reason is simple: the Constitution is a manifestation of the public will. Any new Constitution or constitutional amendment should come out of a broad public consensus through proper legal procedures. Such measures cannot be the product of hurried political horse trading by self-selected groups in smoke-filled back rooms.
Amending or rewriting something as basic as the Constitution on the eve of presidential elections can only be hugely destabilizing, inevitably stirring up ideological conflicts, which will complicate the election campaign and perhaps igniting a sense of panic among the populace and aggravate existing differences and confrontations.
By extending their own terms, the National Assembly deputies breached their contract with their voters. This means their contracts no longer have any legitimacy, their tenures are no longer based on a public mandate. As such, they do not have any right to amend the Constitution, let alone write a new one. At best, they can only play a transitional role.
But probably all this is wishful thinking. The severe treatment of Su is a sign that the KMT is at the end its tether and not prepared to tolerate any more waywardness. It is also probably a way in which Lee Teng-hui can disassociate himself from these intrigues. And is the DPP really serious about a new Constitution? Not at the moment, we think.
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