Print

Mail

wiki links

EDITORIAL: CEO debate has run its course

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) idea of picking a chief executive officer (CEO) for premier has hogged the headlines in the past few days. However, after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄) made it clear at Thursday's meeting with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) that the KMT was not interested, Hsieh had to abandon the idea.

Taiwan is sometimes too easily influenced by other countries, and the CEO idea seems to have been inspired by the election of former CEO Lee Myung-bak as president of South Korea. Hsieh and KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) have even sparred over who would be Taiwan's answer to Lee. In addition to saying he would pick a CEO for premier if he wins the presidency, Hsieh has suggested that Chen replace incumbent Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) with a "CEO premier."

Hsieh's urgent selling of the idea is an attempt to show himself as a man of action who both talks the talk and walks the walk. It is also grounded in a wish to have a fresh face who could apply corporate experience to leading the Cabinet and kick-starting the economy and restoring morale after the DPP's demoralizing electoral showing on Jan. 12. If the appointment of a premier can also split KMT opinion, Hsieh would kill two birds with one stone.

But Hsieh's idea appears to have backfired. The right to appoint the premier belongs to the president, and Chen, who is wont to reject Chang's resignation, is probably not too happy with Hsieh's forceful push for the CEO idea only to be snubbed by the KMT after swallowing his pride and discussing the issue with Wu. Hsieh also upset Chang by pushing for the idea after pointedly saying that anyone wanting "a government position at this time is shameless." Hsieh has not only been unable to split KMT opinion, but may also have hurt DPP unity.

Regardless of who gets the premiership, there is less than four months until the next president is installed. A new premier will only have time to get a handle on his or her duties and the operations of the bureaucracy, prepare a policy report and engage the legislature for one month. Choosing a CEO who has little political experience raises the question of whether he or she would be able to control Cabinet members and deal with the opposition's massive legislative majority.

Add the fact that the KMT will do what it can to derail any possible achievements by the premier, and this would be a difficult situation for anyone, no matter how strong the premier might have been as a corporate CEO. The outcome of the presidential election is also uncertain, and not too many CEOs would be willing to serve as premier for mere months.

Given the proximity of the election, the DPP shouldn't waste too much time and effort on the issue. The current Cabinet is already a transition Cabinet that will only have time to prepare for the election, the two referendums and the transition to the next president.

Changing premiers now would have a negative impact on the DPP, so it is a good thing for the party that Hsieh has had to give up on the CEO idea earlier rather than later, thus avoiding further instability.

And if he still thinks it's such a good idea, he can appoint a CEO premier if he wins the election.
This story has been viewed 1120 times.