The campaign for the Dec. 3 local government elections have degenerated into a non-stop stream of rumor-mongering and unsubstantiated gossip. The competitive focus of local leadership elections should be on individual administrative abilities, moral strength and vision for local development. They should not be an ideological stand-off between top national leaders on the question of unification or independence. These elections should focus on producing wise and able candidates, not on furthering narrow party interests.
A glance at recent polls, however, shows that the Dec. 3 elections aren't likely to transcend the bitter divide between the pan-green and pan-blue camps, or between unification and independence proponents. Voter perception of candidates seems to be unrelated to their character, abilities and vision, but rather result from the public's black or white perception of a candidate and voters' own knee-jerk partisan reactions. Now, little effort is spent debating local reform, and the campaign has deteriorated into a vicious war of words.
In democratic countries, the general public holds diverse political opinions and belongs to different parties. But all are united by a belief in core democratic values and a loyalty to their country. But in Taiwan, public opinion has splintered into two camps that lack common ground, with each half having its own national identification and only occasional respect for the rules of the democratic game.
Even worse, the pan-blue camp is particularly adept at berating Taiwan's democratic system. They rail against the nation's diversity and the way negotiations and communication are handled, seeing shadowy connections between business and government everywhere, and lamenting the chaos of democracy.
The pan-blues are deliberately misleading the public, trying to make them believe that no good can come from a democratic system, as if they were longing for the days of authoritarian rule.
The election campaign has again exposed the deep divisions in Taiwanese society. In such a society, there is a lack of mutual trust, suspicion is rampant and the parties are unable to deal with disagreement through negotiation. The result is that election campaigns neglect positive, constructive platforms while instead exposing endless scandals or misconduct involving one's opponent. Such a strategy aims to elevate oneself by dragging one's opponent as far down as possible.
In such a negative contest, there is little need for candidates to offer a blueprint of their political ideas, since all they need do is go on the attack. This turns candidates, campaign workers and their political parties into little squid that are only good at squirting their ink to blacken their opponent's name.
It is also worrying that biased reporting from some media outlets has diverted the public's attention away from serious election issues. The Kaohsiung MRT scandal, which looms large over the campaign, is still being investigated -- so we still do not know the extent of the corruption involved. But the pan-blue media is jumping to conclusions, recklessly smearing the names of innocent people and accusing the government of corruption with little basis.
Such distorted reporting makes it seem as if these elections, which should be about who is fit to govern locally, is instead being spun as a follow-on from the Kaohsiung MRT scandal and a vote of confidence in the former secretary-general of the Presidential Office.
The public pays attention to corruption scandals, and if the controversy leads to government reform, then the whole saga could have a positive outcome. However, local government elections should be about the candidates' moral stature and ability to govern. They must not be bogged down in the war of words surrounding the Kaohsiung MRT scandal, at the expense of much-needed local development.
Worse, placing party interests before local needs has meant that some long-delayed reforms -- such as getting rid of the 18 percent preferential interest rate for soldiers, public servants and teachers -- have been dismissed by the pan-blue camp as political ploys. This gives the pan-blue camp a convenient excuse for blocking such reforms and avoiding real debate.
Government reform should not be about advancing the interests of certain parties. It should aim to make the system fairer and more reasonable. Both government and opposition should put aside their ideological differences and do all they can to implement reform. The ballot box is the public's way to monitor government, and it is also a catalyst for reform.
We therefore call on all political parties and candidates to live up to the public's hope for reform and put a quick end to the war of words and smear tactics.
They should let the judiciary handle corruption scandals, and busy themselves with presenting concrete platforms, offering blueprints for development, holding public debates and giving the public a chance to make an informed choice.
In short, the parties must cease their endless stream of attacks and allegations, and return to a rational debate about policy. They should find ways to benefit the Taiwanese people, rather than dragging everyone down into the mud.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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