Editorial: Economic focus good for pan-blues

The pan-green camp has taken the lead in setting campaign issues ever since the election campaign began to gather steam. The pan-blue camp has only been capable of passive responses -- be it in on the issue of Taiwan's official name, a referendum law, a new constitution or a defensive referendum.

Friday, the pan-blue camp publicized its financial and economic platform through one-hour slots on TV channels. The advertisements have had little impact, however, overwhelmed as they were by news of the tussle among Taiwan, the US and China over a defensive referendum. But the pan-blue camp deserves encouragement for taking a correct first step.

The pan-blue camp's Lien Chan (連戰) and James Soong (宋楚瑜) presented a beautiful wish list, with promises to lower unemployment to below 4 percent, increase economic growth to over 5 percent, achieve balanced budgets within six years and increase per capita income to over US$16,000 within four years. Ostensibly, the pan-blue camp's promises are meant to outshine the Cabinet's financial and economic projects.

But any political party can promise pie in the sky. The pan-blue camp has presented a wish list but no implementation plan to back it up. How they plan to make good on their promises is an important yardstick by which to compare the quality of the two parties' financial and economic policy platforms.

It is true that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has long boasted excellent financial and economic talent. Soong pointed out in the TV advertisement that Taiwan's economic foundations were laid by KMT talents such as Yen Chia-kan (嚴家淦), Yin Chung-jung (尹仲容) and Sun Yun-shuan (孫運璿). But these people are long dead. Past success does not necessarily guarantee future success.

Besides, Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), the man who led Taiwan's economic development for more than a decade and helped Taiwan weather the Asian financial crisis, has left the KMT to become the chairman of a national campaign group supporting President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). The KMT no longer has a monopoly on financial and economic talent. Which of the two camps has better talent remains to be seen.

In the TV advertisement, Lien, who holds a PhD in political science, tried hard to sell the pan-blue camp's financial and economic platform, while Soong focused on lashing out at the DPP government's failures. The program's effectiveness was lessened by having inappropriate people talk in an inappropriate manner about financial and economic issues. It would have been more effective if Lien and Soong had introduced financial and economic experts and let them explain the financial and economic issues facing Taiwan in a simple way, and also offer solutions.

Economic are the pan-blue camp's priorities in the election campaign, but on the campaign trail it has had trouble bringing its issues into the debate. One of the reasons for this is that economic issues have been the pan-green camp's weak spot in the past, so they have tried to prevent economic issues from taking center stage, and thus avoid attacks from the pan-blue camp.

Besides, the pan-blue camp is far less competent than the pan-green camp at manipulating election issues. It has so far failed to dominate the debate.

The effect of the pan-blue camp's first policy announcement on TV has been poorer than it hoped, but at least it took a good first step. If the pan-blue camp continues to focus on its financial and economic platform, and convey the impression to voters that it cares about their livelihood, this could have an effect on key voters' preferences.

Focusing economic issues can also provide an example of positive campaigning and make the improvement of people's livelihood the campaign's theme. Happiness for the people can only be brought about this way.