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Editorial: A plea from a sleepless patriot

"Where does Taiwan go from here?" That's the question in the minds of many anxious observers in view of the growing absurdities of the nation's politics.

According to the Constitution, Taiwan is ruled by a government composed of five branches. But a look at the problems in each of those branches reveals a government structure in the process of being sabotaged -- to the point of causing anyone who cares about this nation to suffer sleepless nights.

The Executive Yuan has had most of its proposals boycotted by the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan. The legislature has also blocked the plan of the Examination Yuan, which is in charge of administering civil service examinations, to scrap the 18 percent preferential interest rate for retired teachers, public servants and military personnel.

Then there's the Judicial Yuan. On Tuesday the public witnessed the legislature block Hsieh Wen-ding (謝文定) from serving as the nation's top prosecutor. The opposition parties can't give any sound reason why they rejected him, leaving as the only explanation People First Party (PFP) caucus whip Lu Hsieh-chang's (呂學樟) point that Hsieh was nominated by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

The Control Yuan has been almost completely forgotten. The body empowered by the Constitution to monitor public officials has seen its backlog of public complaints grow ever larger as the pan-blue camp adamantly and repeatedly refuses to review the body's nominations in the legislature's Procedure Committee.

The primary responsibility of legislators is to make laws in the nation's interest. But judging from their recent soap-opera-like performances, it seems as if their power has swelled so much that they think they can act like judges and paralyze the government.

Forget Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) words about "being a rational and responsible opposition." Time and again the pan-blue camp has shamelessly demonstrated that it is only interested in using its legislative majority to punish the government. They have often spoken of upholding the Constitution, but this is hypocrisy. Their actions are undermining the five-branch system enshrined in the Constitution.

With former KMT chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) visit to China yesterday, the party has shown again that it is all too willing to play along with China's "united front" tactics. While their hatred of Chen seems to know no bounds, they dally with an authoritarian regime across the Strait that has pointed hundreds of missiles this way.

But the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration isn't innocent of blame, either. Going on to its seventh year in office, the DPP administration has not learned from its mistakes or refined its governing skills. Instead, with the party plagued by a spate of scandals, many wonder whether the party has lost its ideals and become like the corrupt KMT regime it used to fight. How many of his promises to safeguard the country's social fairness and justice has Chen made good on?

In a bid to reverse its sinking approval ratings, the Presidential Office last night held a joint meeting with senior officials from the Executive Yuan and the DPP. One hopes the result of this meeting won't be just another round of rhetoric.

As author Mark Clement once said: "Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver."

There is no doubt that Chen and the DPP need to search their hearts and work to regain the public's trust before it is too late.

"Where does Taiwan go from here?" That's a question that should be pondered by everyone -- and especially those in the Presidential Office.
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