Positive about negative vote
Chiou Tian-juh (邱天助) said in his opinion piece (“Positive effect of ‘negative voting,’” March 9, page 8) that 14 states allow negative votes.
I am compelled to clarify that what is available in these 14 states is the “none of the above” (NOTA) option. That is very different from what is being proposed, which Chiou understands and apparently supports — and the positive effects of which he wrote eloquently about.
A few more points of clarification are needed in response to some criticism mentioned in Chinese-language newspapers.
One assertion is that the proposal was advanced to promote Shih Ming-te (施明德) or some person with political ambition to benefit the third party candidate.
Nothing is further from the truth. We have been promoting this idea for more than a year on the Internet, mainly through Facebook.
The Negative Vote Association formed in March last year and sent an application with a list of more than 30 founders to the Ministry of the Interior (not including Shih) in November last year.
We knew we needed a prominent figure to serve as our chairman to gain the attention of mainstream media.
In spite of our best efforts, all such figures we approached declined.
Only Shih was willing, although fully aware that he would draw fire from all vested interests.
Shih is willing to become a target of attack because he believes our proposal will improve all democracies, improve harmony in Taiwan and contribute to world peace by weeding out extremists.
As expected, all Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators interviewed did not support the idea. Some responded more viciously than others to draw attention to themselves.
In the nine-in-one elections in November last year, 38 percent of candidates for the office of village warden — that is, 2,970 people — ran unopposed.
I am sure that many of these people are so loved by their neighbors that they are unopposed (one of our founders is such a person).
Yet, it is also public knowledge that some of these people are local gang leaders who can intimidate potential opposition into not running. Negative voting would solve this problem.
With negative voting, the probability exists (though very low) that no candidate receives any net positive votes. In this case, another election should be held and those initially rejected should be barred from participating.
The natural question in that scenario is: “Is a second election not very costly to society?”
To which our response is: “Is electing the wrong person not even more costly to society?”
In a two-candidate scenario, under the current system, the winner often arrogantly proclaims: “I have [overwhelming] popular support.”
The truth is more likely that he does not. In this scenario, many people do not vote because they dislike both candidates. Some vote for the winner as the “lesser of two evils.”
If negative voting is adopted, more people would participate in voting and the result would more accurately reflect people’s views.
The outcome of who wins could also be the opposite of the outcome when only positive votes are allowed.
For example, under the current system, if out of 67 votes, candidate A receives 34 and candidate B receives 33, candidate A would win with 50.7 percent majority support.
If negative voting is an option and 33 more people choose to vote, and candidate A receives 34 positive votes and 22 negative votes, the candidate’s net positive votes number 11.
If candidate B receives 33 positive votes and 11 negative votes, that candidate’s net positive votes number 22.
Candidate B would win and humbly note that he does not have majority support.
It is clear which system is better.
Sam Chang
Negative Vote Association secretary-general
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath