Speaking at a meeting of the Central Standing Committee of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) a few days ago, KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said that the government enjoys strong support from KMT legislators. Wu’s comment highlighted two important points.
First, lawmakers have a constitutional duty to supervise the executive branch. The legislature must not be reduced to a “department of legislation” that takes orders from the government. Second, the KMT caucus, which has an absolute majority in the legislature, cannot fulfill this supervisory function if its support for the Cabinet is unconditional.
This imbalance in the exercise of democracy is what has allowed the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to continue to make policy mistakes while leaning ever closer to China.
After taking office, Ma interpreted the fact that he was elected by a wide margin as a license to appoint a Cabinet of arrogant ministers.
In addition, the KMT, with its absolute legislative majority, is bent on pushing its line on key policies that will decide the course our country takes.
In so doing, the party shows scant regard for public opinion. Despite having just signed two international human rights conventions — the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights — Ma seeks at the same time to suppress the voice of the people by refusing to amend the “birdcage” Referendum Law (公投法) or liberalize the terms of the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法).
Instead, his administration continues to manufacture dubious opinion poll results in an attempt to make its policies seem more popular than they actually are.
During this period, KMT legislators have indeed been highly supportive of the Cabinet, just as Wu said.
In other words, the KMT caucus has given its full backing to the president’s major policies — policies that have resulted in salary cuts for many people and increased unemployment.
But KMT lawmakers are doing a disservice to those who elected them. As a result, the past year has been like a replay of the days of martial law, with an all-powerful authoritarian ruler and a rubber stamp Legislative Yuan.
The president can lay down the law with no questions asked. Lawmakers should not forget that they secured their legislative seats only by winning popular support in tough electoral contests. They should take their duties seriously, supporting good policies and opposing bad ones. If lawmakers instead submit to the whims of a dictatorial president and arrogant ministers, they will be letting down their voters.
Taiwan was hit hard by last year’s global financial storm, with business in all sectors slumping. Unemployment continues to climb and making a living is difficult. Domestic tragedies like suicide and child abuse continue to occur.
The former Democratic Progressive Party administration is partly to blame because it failed to stem the tide of manufacturing companies moving to China.
But Ma has gone further by removing all restrictions. Taiwan’s economic vigor has been depleted, leaving it with no strength to resist the global economic crisis.
Life is becoming harder for an increasing section of society.
The president has said that his administration feels the pain of ordinary people and will respond to their cries for help. In reality, the government has not halted its policy of deregulation and opening up to China — the very policy that has already done Taiwan so much harm.
Instead, the government has used the economic crisis as a pretext for speeding up its rapprochement with China. Were it not for strong public opposition, it would by now have sold Taiwan down the river by signing a cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement.
Unfortunately, KMT lawmakers have not taken a stand against the incompetence of Ma and his Cabinet. They have not supervised the government as is their duty. Ma’s policy of cross-strait deregulation only serves the business interests of a minority of society, while ignoring the well-being of ordinary people. Yet KMT lawmakers have done nothing to stop it.
Thanks to deregulation, Chinese farm produce is crossing the Taiwan Strait through various channels, threatening the livelihood of Taiwanese farmers. Again, KMT lawmakers stand idly by.
Allowing Chinese students to attend universities in Taiwan will likewise have far-reaching negative consequences, as would recognizing Chinese diplomas, but KMT lawmakers have no objections.
Direct cross-strait transportation, opening up to Chinese tourists and other measures are allowing more Chinese to come and find work in Taiwan under various pretexts, taking away the livelihood of Taiwanese. KMT lawmakers are allowing this to happen.
Minister of Economic Affairs Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘) recently announced the first stage of deregulation, allowing Chinese investment in 99 sectors. Surprisingly, 21 of the categories involve the field of public works.
Are the country’s public works projects really so short of funds that they require investment from China? In reality, what Taiwanese businesses lack is not funds but good industrial policy to complement their own capable management. Ma and his Cabinet, however, have no such intention. They are too eager to rely on China.
With the arrival of Chinese investment will come the arrival of Chinese looking for work. Taiwanese will suffer rising unemployment and falling wages as a result. In time, per capita GDP will be dragged down to the same level as in China. Can’t legislators do something to stop harmful policies like these?
Civil servants serving under Ma’s government are paid by the public. They should listen to their consciences rather than being lured by bureaucratic privilege into betraying future generations.
A single term for a legislator lasts just four years. As elected representatives, legislators should ask themselves whether the things they do in the time allotted them really serve the interests of the taxpayers who voted for them and pay their salaries.
They should bear in mind that there will be a record of their actions in the legislature — which bills they did and did not support. If they act responsibly, their names will be honored by future generations, but if they do not they will be cursed.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) has a particular duty to set an example. Lawmakers should work for the long-term benefit of the public and prevent poor policies from being put into effect.
They should do their jobs by speaking up for the public and thus leave a legacy to be proud of.
TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG
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