Inspired by Dr Sun Yat-sen's (孫中山) famous words, "The work of the revolution is not yet done. Our comrades must renew their efforts, (革命尚未成功, 同志仍需努力)" the Taiwanese people are still involved with revolutionary movements. The goal of Sun's revolution was to save the nation, while our purpose is to solve Taiwan's difficulties. The recall of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) begins with a head count at the legislature. If a two-third majority of legislators votes to proceed with the recall, Chen will ultimately face the verdict of the Taiwanese people. If a majority of the people votes to recall him, he will step down -- quick, simple, and fair. This manner of deciding Chen's fate is perhaps the most direct possible way to stop the controversy.
During Taiwan's martial law (
If the people learn, in the recall process, about Taiwan's constitutional problems, such as who really holds the power in government, it will make up for the huge social cost entailed in a recall.
On the other hand, if we choose to deal with the chaos by fixing the problems with Taiwan's constitutional system through amendment or establishing a mechanism for negotiation between political parties, the matter will become much more complicated and time-consuming. The revolutionary nature of a presidential recall satisfies the Taiwanese people's longing to participate in government affairs. The event has already brought in great profits for nightly TV and radio call-in shows. It also brings opportunities for opposition politicians to gain attention.
If the Legislative Yuan passes the recall motion, the issue will become the main focus of people's lives. The fight between the pro- and anti-Chen camps will continue, pushing other social issues to the fringes.
Both a healthy negotiation mechanism for the political parties and sufficient means for people to express their views are needed for stable democratic politics.
As a result of the recall, some social groups may be compelled to take sides, compromising their autonomy. The political struggle may harm non-governmental organizations by distracting them from the main focus of their work.
In 1811, French author Joseph de Maistre said about Russia, "Every country has the government it deserves."
Chen's behavior after he came into power mirrors the Taiwanese people's behavior -- impetuous and immature. The manner in which Chen halted the nuclear plant construction was crude, and so is the way people are deciding to recall him. The opposition parties could have chosen to have a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet, to impeach Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), to request an interpretation of the Constitution by the Council of Grand Justices (大法官會議), or to gradually amend the Constitution. Any one of these would have been a valuable lesson for the Taiwanese people. Instead, the opposition parties have opted for a quick and simple solution.
The revolutionary tradition in modern history is similar to Taiwan's current political dispute -- the culture of opposition. If we cannot change such a culture, similar problems will occur again and again in the future.
Ping Lu is a social critic and columnist.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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