Having been lost and despondent for five years after Taiwan's first democratic transition of power, loyal Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members have elected Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
To Taiwanese eager to determine their own future, Ma's victory is no less significant than the 2000 presidential election. Then, Taiwanese were collectively under the spell of Chen Shui-bian (
Ma was elected KMT chairman at a most opportune moment. The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) five years in power have led some to question its ability to govern and to wonder if it has been corrupted by power. The DPP government has also failed to win a majority in the legislature. Chen's government has let their supporters down by breaking election-campaign promises, thus causing the previous zeal of its supporters to dissipate.
Outgoing KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
But if Ma wants to win the 2008 presidential election, relying only on pan-blue voters' support will not be sufficient, and he will inevitably face the difficulties posed by an evenly divided electorate. As the KMT's ill-gotten party assets disappear with time, the influence of locally-organized vote captains will diminish. It is also uncertain if Ma will be able to rely on his charm to succeed.
Therefore, Ma must shift his position toward the middle of the political spectrum, not only to win the presidential election, but also to become a president for all of Taiwan's people. But how will he eliminate suspicions about him and win people's trust? The question applies only to issues of honesty and corruption, but also to the nation's status and future.
Frankly speaking, Ma's "one China" stance seems different from Lien's "one China" and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong's (
Therefore, Ma should insist on "The ROC on Taiwan." He should refrain from getting involved in controversies regarding the "one China" principle and the so-called "1992 consensus." Only by upholding the bottom line of the ROC and drawing a clear line to distinguish himself from the People's Republic of China will Ma start to win public trust.
Given that changing governments are the norm in democratic countries, we can anticipate that in the short run, the DPP and the KMT will take turns running the country. Before Taiwan becomes what is commonly understood to be a "normal" nation, the pan-blue camp will inevitably face the same problems confronted by the pan-green camp.
Pan-blue voters must now give Ma their unwavering support, while pan-green voters will be hoping that the national leader will place national interests before partisan ones. These are the Taiwanese people's most basic expectations of Ma.
Chen Gau-Tzu is deputy director of the Northern Taiwan Society. Kuo Chang-feng is a member of the society.
Translated by Lin Ya-ti
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