After the legislative elections, discussions on cross-party reconciliation and the formation of a coalition government have aroused the attention of the general public and given rise to widespread speculation.
Of the various forms a coalition government might take, the most feasible, at the moment, is an alliance between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the People First Party (PFP). Nevertheless, such an alliance would not be without problems, for the DPP and PFP still have tremendous differences on such issues as national identity and cross-strait relations, and the vicious conflict between the pan-blue and pan-green camps have undermined mutual trust.
Difficult as it may seem, a DPP-PFP coalition government is probably feasible because of the following: First, the lowest-ever turnout in the legislative elections showed that the public are already fed up with cross-party conflicts and hope for a stable political climate.
Second, there is appeal for both President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) in the idea of a coalition. Chen does not want
his eight years in office to be remembered for its lack of achievements, and to see future legislation blocked in the legislature. In Soong's case, with the PFP and KMT drifting closer together, he must avoid becoming marginalized. That is why there is an incentive for both sides.
If such a coalition will allow government policies to be passed by the legislature, DPP supporters are unlikely to resist a coalition. The question is how PFP supporters will feel about it.
The formation of a coalition government is actually a reflection of a pluralist society. A political organization, and its ideology, failing to win the support of over half the electorate is nothing unusual in a democracy. Indeed, coalition government has existed in Europe for a century.
The point about coalitions is that there should no closed-door negotiations nor should it be restricted to a distribution of government positions. I believe that if the DPP and PFP are to form a coalition government, they must reach a consensus in two areas.
The first is in the matter of policy. The DPP and the PFP have to reach a compromise on issues concerning national identity and cross-strait relations. One aim of the proposed resolution to defend the Republic of China is to reduce the division between the parties. The DPP may even consider removing the Taiwan independence clause from its party platform or make it consistent with the content of the Resolution on Taiwan's Future, to bridge the gap between the DPP and PFP.
Soong, as chairman of the PFP, should also adjust the "one China roof" framework he proposed to define cross-strait relations. Only by settling the fundamental difference over national identity can both the DPP and PFP collaborate on other agendas; otherwise, goodwill gestures and negotiation will be meaningless.
What the general public wants to see is that both sides can work together on domestic issues related to people's livelihood, political reform and the economy. These will provide a solid and proper foundation for cooperation between the two sides.
Second, a framework must be established to regulate the distribution of government offices between the DPP and the PFP to avoid accusations of secret deals or distribution of political spoils. The formation of a coalition government should reflect the political power of each party and the distribution of government appointments should reflect the priorities of each party.
Only when the correlation between political power and political responsibility is clearly defined does the formation of a coalition government make sense.
Lee Wen-chung is a Democratic Progressive Party legislator.
Translated by Daniel Cheng
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under