Finding a way out for Taiwan's future

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) called on DPP members during the party's ninth national congress meeting to "fight" and "charge" for a victory in the year-end elections, so that the DPP will become the biggest party in the newly elected Legislative Yuan.

In the future, the DPP could therefore join forces with those in the opposition who share the party's ideals and support reform in order to form a legislative majority. Once accomplished, political stability could be restored. A number of DPP members went as far as to propose a coalition government during the same meeting. For the moment, the topic of inter-party cooperation has become the center of public attention.

Based on the DPP's difficult position as a minority government, the party's chance of winning a legislative majority in the year-end elections -- and becoming a majority government as a result -- is remote at best. The KMT proposes that after the election the majority party form a majority government in accordance with the constitutionally mandated "semi-presidential" system of government.

However, a DPP-KMT coalition government would enjoy the support of nearly two hundred lawmakers. Under the circumstances, the government would seem to lack any real checks and balances on its power. This would not be a healthy development for political democracy. On the other hand, continuing the KMT legislative majority and the usurpation of power by the opposition parties is no better.

The DPP minority government currently faces external as well as internal threats. President Chen initially relied on a platform of a "government for all people," (全民政府) and the appointment of a KMT premier, Tang Fe (唐飛), to make up for the problems unique to a minority government. However, the new government has turned out to be a "government for all people" in name only.

The ruling party abruptly announced the halt of the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四), failing to fully understand the mechanics of the legal system and the financial and political infrastructure of the country. Thereafter, the government was besieged by domestic turmoil, completely derailing the operation of its "government for all people."

Even without such a major catastrophe, a minority government in a political democracy has some inherent birth defects to begin with -- primarily that the opposition force outweighs the ruling force. In Taiwan, legislative power is being abused to thwart the executive branch.

Spinning in circles

In many respects, the ruling party's own lack of experience and unfamiliarity with government operations has fostered its violation of the Constitution and the law. In essence, the ruling party has become fully constrained by the opposition alliance. It has been unable to understand the impact the power structure has on the political and economic situation.

As an opposition party, the DPP was good at checking and balancing the ruling party. However, now the DPP lacks the experience and tact necessary to decrease the force of the impact between the ruling and opposition powers. As a result, the entire political process has been spinning in circles, accomplishing virtually nothing.

During the KMT regime, the executive branch dominated the government, creating a political by-product -- "black gold" politics. The KMT regime relied completely on the unique characteristics of a strongman leader, emphasizing leadership over the law.