Once again the local and international media are full of images of grown men and women scrapping in the national legislature. On this occasion the dispute was over the review of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Some legislators were injured in the brawl. Both the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) called press conferences to blame each other and demand apologies to the nation. The biggest casualties here, though, are Taiwan’s democracy and President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) reputation, for reneging on promises made.
Before the ECFA was signed, Ma gave continued assurances of transparency, saying the public would be able to monitor the situation and that the outcome would be sent to the legislature for review. On Thursday, the day of the brawl, it became quite apparent how empty these promises were, as the KMT caucus used its legislative majority to move directly to the second reading, circumventing normal procedures and preventing debate. It is also clear they will now try to ram the whole package through the second and third readings.
A scenario in which dissenting voices are silenced in the nation’s parliament is an insult to democracy and a betrayal of the promises of public oversight Ma made in his debate with DPP Chairperson Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文). It is all too easy to pass legislation when you have an absolute majority, but the arrogance of denying the opposition the chance to debate the legislation clause by clause is absolutely unacceptable.
Armed with its legislative majority, the KMT blatantly refused to allow the DPP to air its position. It does not matter how well the DPP lawmakers fight — they are always going to be overrun by the rampaging Chinese nationalist hordes.
The DPP now needs to regroup and consider its options. To continue participating in these provisional sessions is to act as a rubber stamp for the ECFA. It is time for the party to turn its back on this farce and to take the matter to the public.
The ECFA is no trifling matter. It will have a considerable and lasting impact on Taiwan’s future. The government has blocked two petitions, each with 100,000 signatories, calling for a referendum on the issue. The Ma administration should know that it is not its call — it is for the people of this country to decide. The DPP need to make clear it stands firmly with the public.
The ECFA remains rife with problems. It was difficult before to offer counterarguments because the content of the agreement was unknown. Now, however, the DPP has a chance to evaluate the impact the ECFA is likely to have on each industry and to inform the public, to let them know the truth underneath all that government sugarcoating.
Even if the ECFA brings certain advantages to some industries, many people will lose out. It will have repercussions on many levels and affect a variety of industries, either in the short or long term, not to mention political, economic as well as social implications. It certainly isn’t the rose garden the KMT would have us believe.
The KMT has tried to keep the public in the dark over the nature of the ECFA. Now that it has been signed, the party wants to stifle public engagement. The DPP should now take action to foil the KMT’s plans by educating people about the cons as well as the pros of the deal, so that they are better equipped to make up their own minds.
The KMT may have carte blanche over the legislature because of its majority and be able to block any referendum proposals through its control of the Referendum Review Committee, but it will find it much harder to get past the hurdle of public opinion.
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