Lee-Chen alliance shows merit

After Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was elected president of Taiwan, the DPP became the ruling party. In the previous 14 years of its history, the DPP was a guerrilla force gaining experience in fighting for the popular vote. Its winning of the election was not the result of its political accomplishments, but because it was what the people wanted.

The KMT, in the previous 50 years of its rule, transformed itself from a totalitarian to a democratic party. Its political and economic contributions to Taiwan are undeniable. The KMT was defeated not because it had performed poorly as a ruling party but because of its own internal divisions and its failure to understand the peoples' will. For these reasons, the people voted for a change of government.

While President Chen and his party hold the steering wheel of the country, the driving wheels of the vehicle are spinning. This is because, in the past year, neither the ruling nor the opposition party has successfully settled into their roles. Neither has understood the mainstream popular will. Interaction between the minority ruling party and the majority opposition party has become chaotic, bringing political turmoil, an economic slump, and social instability to Taiwan. Politicians form both government and the opposition owe the people an apology. They should vow unity and put aside their differences in a joint effort to build a new Taiwan.

Taiwan's political dynamics have undergone tremendous and sudden changes. While the KMT and the DPP were able to accomplish a peaceful transfer of power, the parties have yet to settle into their new roles.

Popular support for the KMT, to a certain extent, derived from black-gold politics, which distorted indications of Taiwan's popular will and its political structure.

Also, the presidential and Legislative Yuan elections were held at different times. As a result, while President Chen may have won the support of the people, he is powerless against the legislators. The alliance between the opposition KMT, PFP, and the New Party makes up two thirds of the seats in the legislature. Government policies face constant opposition boycotts in implementation. In the next three years, the Chen administration may continue to be plagued by this problem.

This opposition apparently arose because of the halt on construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. However, it is actually directed at President Chen's refusal to accept the "one China" principle. Chaos in the Legislative Yuan reflects vengeance and hatred on the part of the opposition. Against this backdrop of vindictiveness, the opposition alliance may have won the battle, but it has lost the support of the people. Many people are beginning to realize that only a change in the Legislative Yuan will bring stability to Taiwan, and foster economic development. Legislative opposition far surpasses the executive power of the government, and the minority government has been unable to implement many of its most popular plans.

Taiwan's opposition parties are basically all the same. They are all inclined to endorse the "one China" principle. There is also a phenomenal sense of "greater China nationalism" brewing among the opposition.

The New Party broke off from the KMT, because former KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) came to view the KMT as somewhat alien, and devoted his efforts to making it a more Taiwanese party.