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EDITORIAL: Taking constitutional cover

Since becoming head of state, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has maintained that, based on the Constitution, the premier is the administrative chief who has the highest authority over most domestic matters, while the president’s responsibilities chiefly lie in diplomacy, national defense and cross-strait relations.

Ma cited the Constitution for his silence amid public furor over rising fuel and commodity prices and farmers’ calls for help following flooding in the south.

The president’s recent conduct, however, appears to give lie to his argument.

On Friday, students, parents and alumni from Tainan County’s Tsungyeh Elementary School staged a demonstration outside the Ministry of Education, urging the ministry to stop the county government’s plan to close the school because of its remote location and low enrolment.

The following day, while visiting Hongye Elementary School in a remote part of Taitung County, the president spoke on behalf of Tsungyeh Elementary School, saying that closing down the school requires a review as it could widen the education gap between urban and rural areas.

Ma again surprised many on Tuesday, when he weighed in on the issue concerning former Ministry of Education secretary-general Chuang Kuo-rong (莊國榮).

Chuang on Saturday implied that National Chengchi University’s refusal to renew his teaching contract was politically motivated retaliation for his verbal attacks on Ma when he was running for the presidency.

Ma said he respected the university’s decision not to renew Chuang’s contract, but added that the school’s disciplinary action against Chuang appeared to be “disproportionate” to the deed and called on the public to give Chuang another chance.

This seems a long way from Ma’s emphasis on respecting “the administrative boundaries” by not jumping to the frontline. Maybe Ma has forgotten that Tsungyeh Elementary School falls under the jurisdiction of the Tainan County Government and that Chuang’s case falls under the authority of the school.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) sought to fend off criticism by saying that Ma has spoken in Chuang’s defense because the issue stemmed from Chuang’s controversial remarks implying that Ma’s late father had an affair with his goddaughter. As for Ma’s comment on Tsungyeh Elementary School, Wang said that providing for education in the nation’s remote areas was part of Ma’s campaign platform.

Maybe. But this makes it difficult to understand why Ma hasn’t spoken a word about the plummeting stock market and public complaints over their deteriorating finances despite his campaign promise that the stock market would surge to 20,000 points and that the economy would improve if he was elected.

These incidents suggest a disturbing pattern in how Ma builds his public image. While he is eager to jump to the frontline and take credit for speaking for the “underdog,” he is as quick to take cover and hide behind the Constitution when the issue appears difficult and troublesome, such as the flooding in southern Taiwan and soaring commodity prices.

It is early days, but nonetheless disturbing to see the president shirk his responsibilities when the going gets tough and choose short cuts when the political effects are to his advantage.
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