On Saturday, President Chen Shui-bian (
The focus of the new phase will likely be shaping a three-branch government, establishing a presidential system and abolishing the provincial government. Among the many flaws in the Constitution is a five-branch government in which the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan play virtually no role in checking and balancing the powers of the other three branches, thus defeating the purpose of their existence and wasting taxpayers' money. This unique "co-habitation" form of government is also unlike the presidential, Cabinet and other forms of government elsewhere in the world. As for the provincial government, almost everyone agrees that it is a waste of money.
The Constitution has been subjected to major amendments on seven occasions. Yet it is still beset with problems. Each time an amendment is made to fix a problem, new ones are created. This process of repeated amendments has become something of a nightmare. When will it end? When will people finally accept that the time and energy spent on revising and amending the Constitution would probably be better spent on customizing a new one? Many came to this conclusion long ago, but are prohibited from acting on the problem because of pressure and coercion from China and China's advocates here at home.
Some changes to the Constitution remain taboo -- namely, any amendment changing its "one China" framework. But this change is the most fundamental problem with the document. All other amendments -- while worthwhile and constructive -- cannot get to the heart of alleviating the predicament of Taiwanese identity.
Also on Saturday, Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) said that the issues of changing the national title and revising the nation's territory will have to be addressed when reforming the Constitution. He speaks the truth. Unless these matters are addressed through constitutional reform, the Constitution will never fully belong to Taiwan and will continue to bear the scars of an alien regime.
Of course, this does not mean that Taiwan should act in haste. While the nation has come a long way in terms of forging a sense of national identity and consciousness these past five years, one can hardly say that a consensus has been reached. As long as domestic divisions remain over these issues, any campaign to reform the Constitution in a way that befits Taiwan's sovereign status and answers its needs will face a serious backlash. In the shadow of China's threats and ambition, Taiwan simply cannot afford further internal disagreement.
Educating the general public remains as important as ever, and this is the next crucial step in building up the kind of consensus needed to carry on with constitutional reform.
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