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Can the new Cabinet be a success?

To show his determination in rejuvenating the economy, initiating domestic reforms and building trust between the political parties after his own party became the largest political force in the legislature, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) appointed Yu Shyi-kun, currently secretary-general to the president, to be the next premier. A large-scale Cabinet reshuffle followed, with Yu replacing more than half the existing Cabinet.

After nearly two years of political experiments, Taiwan's nascent democracy has entered a new phase of political transformation, with the ruling DPP taking over sole responsibility for governing the country. Before last December's elections, Chen's administration was hamstrung by the opposition-led legislature.

But the latest Cabinet reshuffle reflects Chen's desire to establish a DPP Cabinet without sharing power with the opposition.

To build "a government for all the people"(全民政府) used to be a key slogan that helped Chen win the presidential election. However, this plan failed when Chen nominated Tang Fei (唐飛), a veteran KMT member, to be the premier. After Tang stepped down, DPP heavyweight Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) was chosen to lead the government and established the so-called minority government (少數政府).

The inherent problems of Taiwan's constitutional structure regarding the separation of power between the president and the premier constitute the key to the failure of this early attempt to build a bipartisan government. Since it became the main opposition party, the KMT has argued that the constitutional system is a dual-executive one. Under such a system, the president mainly deals with foreign and defense affairs and the premier is in charge of domestic policy, including the formation of the Cabinet. Despite KMT resistance to handing over power, Chen refused to surrender the right to form the Cabinet because the DPP had become the ruling party.

As the "government for all the people" moved toward a dead end, a minority government, headed solely by the DPP, was expected to rule until a coalition government could be formed.

After Chen ran into difficulties in dealing with the opposition-dominated legislature during his first year as president, he had no choice but to reveal his intention of forming a coalition government. Even before the Dec. 1 election, Chen pledged to form a National Stability Alliance to pursue partisan reconciliation.

According to Chen's plan, the DPP would team up with "opposition forces with the same reform mindset" to form a stable majority in the Legislative Yuan.

Chen's latest attempts to foster political stability show the inherent difficulty that the DPP-led minority government has faced during the past few months. Without solid support from the legislature, Chen's policies have met with opposition boycotts at almost every turn.

Surprisingly, the DPP achieved victory in the legislative elections and will become the largest party in the legislature. With a new mandate, Chen can move ahead with plans to establish his own government without worrying too much about the opposition. However, this mandate means that Chen must shoulder all the responsibility of ruling Taiwan and will not be able to blame the opposition for any problems.

The results of the elections displayed a public eagerness for more political stability, economic improvement, government reform and social reorganization. Only if it is strong in tackling corruption, rejuvenating the economy, combatting crime and reforming the government can the Chen administration win more support from the populous.

While Chen could choose who he likes for the Cabinet, he must also take into account that the DPP does not have an absolute majority in the legislature. In this regard, the DPP must work with the opposition parties to formulate policy.

Therefore, the performance of the government will depend on how well the Cabinet can achieve a consensus in the legislature on key issues. The Chen-Yu administration will have to coordinate with the legislature to enact its policies. It will also have to anticipate the possibility of party realignment in the future.

To deal with this political reality, the Chen-Yu administration has shown greater interest in reconciling the parties. The chances of a political realignment are high. So the key to the success of the DPP government, therefore, will be to consolidate its support and then ally with members of other parties to form a solid majority.

Liu Kuan-teh is a Taipei-based political commentator.
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