In the local government elections on Dec 5, voters taught the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) a lesson. A majority of the public and international media got the message voters wanted to express. Ma experienced the largest setback since taking office as his policies and governance were rejected by voters. Foreign news reports said Ma was the main loser in the elections. Ma, however, has completely ignored the message, continues to shirk his responsibility and is unwilling to accept defeat. He has blamed the “less than ideal” election results on the sluggish economy. This president, who does not accept losses or face up to his mistakes will be punished again in future elections, but what we should be concerned about is whether Ma in his remaining two years in office will continue to blindly and arrogantly persist in his errors, leading Taiwan on a course to destruction.
There are two main reasons for the Ma administration’s defeat. The first is the sluggish economy, record unemployment, and the daily hardship and dissatisfaction throughout Taiwan. The second is the government’s leaning toward China, almost unilaterally pushing Taiwan’s businesses, capital, manpower and technical know-how toward China and handing it control over the economy.
These reasons are closely related and mutually reinforcing, but the real problem is the government’s China policies. In other words, Ma’s idea of eventual unification could cause such a catastrophe as to erode Taiwan’s successes and progress to date.
Observers have long since concluded that the reason for Ma’s failure lies in his China policies. As soon as the election results were finalized, Reuter’s reports said the polls were the first test of Ma’s China policies and that the KMT lost to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The Associated Press said that ahead of the fourth meeting between Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), the election results sent a strong warning to Ma regarding his pro-China policies.
The Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun reported that the election reflected the pervasive concerns in Taiwan about Ma and his increasingly China-leaning policies. Another Japanese-language newspaper, the Yomiuri, said the KMT could no longer afford to ignore the public’s fear and suspicion toward China. Apart from international media outlets, senior members of the pan-blue camp warned that the government would suffer more bitter losses if it fails to review its pro-China policies.
This interpretation of public opinion is common in both the pan-blue and the pan-green camps as well as overseas. Yet even if everyone understands this, it means nothing if Ma sticks to his dream of eventual unification. Many people thought the poor election results would make Ma realize that his China policies are disastrous and that he must return to his promises of putting Taiwan and its people first. But Ma seems to believe there is nothing wrong with his policies. It looks as though he will continue to blame the election results on the economy, while opening Taiwan up to China and pandering to the Chinese Communist Party. Ma does not deserve our pity if he sticks to his plans and ruins his and the KMT’s political future. Innocent Taiwanese and future generations will have to live with the consequences of his actions.
It is worrying that China’s efforts to make Taiwan economically dependent are beginning to work. The Ma administration is becoming addicted to the bogus economic benefits China offers. The KMT’s poor election results will only make Ma more dependent on this and make voters spurn his government even more. The Ma government will then need more assistance from China to uphold its shaky rule.
China, which has full control of its unification strategies, will not let this chance pass by. It will “dispense” more economic “drugs” to keep the Ma administration in its control. These are not unfounded statements.
After the elections, the government said cross-strait policies would remain unchanged and that consensus had been reached, which means that upstream Taiwanese makers of flat panel displays, 12-inch wafer fabs and petrochemical companies will be allowed to move to China.
Given these circumstances, China could send large numbers of tour groups to Taiwan as in February and March when Ma’s approval rating reached record lows. Sending tourist groups and purchasing delegations to Taiwan would put on a show about how much money China can bring to Taiwan, thus boosting Ma’s approval ratings.
It is apparent that the election results have not changed Ma. The government is struggling and views China as its only savior. It is not interested in examining its mistakes, but thinks pinning all hopes on China is the solution.
The meeting between Chiang and Chen in Taichung will be a closed door meeting in which the two sides will comfort each other. Voters will spurn a party that constantly acts against public opinion. However, judging from Ma’s post-election comments, he will not change.
We urge Ma to renounce his pro-China policies and keep his promises about putting Taiwan and its people first. This is the only hope the KMT has if it wants to avoid even larger losses in future elections.
TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON
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