Although in some ways events have kept domestic politics on hold since the re-election of President Chen Shui-bian (
Compare this record of progress with the post-election transition in 2000, when the new DPP government lacked people with executive experience. Chen not only appointed people from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and invited private business leaders into the Cabinet, but also made his mark within military and intelligence agencies and the five Yuan. Although the political hubbub still hasn't subsided, the next personnel reshuffle will mark the arrival of an "A-Bian (
Chen first must consider what direction to take in the year-end elections, making a successful election his main consideration when appointing a team to promote his policies. His second consideration should be to train a new generation of talented people capable of delivering results on his promises of reform.
We have two further suggestions. We hope that Chen will organize a team of corruption-proof bureaucrats, and at the same time that he will put his trust in the civil service system by appointing talented individuals from these official ranks, thus paving the way for successful and rational generational change.
Unable to accept its defeat, the current opposition still obstinately clings to irrational protesting. These politicians' persistence has crippled their ability to supervise the government and instead contributed to the fortification of Chen's individual power. With the DPP united behind Chen, the trend toward decision-making following the will of one individual is clear.
If Chen is to realize his reform promises and consolidate his position in history, the beginning of his second term is a crucial time. He must replace power-obsessed officials around him and rein in his family members to prove his self-restraint.
During the KMT era, a reshuffle meant little more than the same group of officials switching positions under the pretext of training talent, when in fact they were obsessed with power and refused to pass it on to the next generation. This practice turned the Cabinet into an exclusive private club with low membership turnover, and lack of opportunity turned the gigantic bureaucracy stagnant.
It is impossible for the DPP to train administrative talent overnight. But there is a wealth of talent among the current 600,000 public servants, the capital the KMT drew on to create the economic miracle. Chen must build his government on this existing foundation. Ideological differences between executive and administrative officials cannot be allowed to wear down the national apparatus. The DPP therefore must not refuse to trust grassroots-level public servants, and must stop parachuting trusted DPP members into the bureaucracy.
The ancient Confucian art of ruling tells us that "talent is the key to a political comeback." Chen's personnel reshuffle will tell us whether his reforms can succeed in the next four years.
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