Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) intensive campaigning for legislative candidates from a wide range of political parties has sent ripples across constituencies nationwide and added variables to the Jan. 16 elections, while leaving some questioning what he has up his sleeve.
Although Ko denied that his recent long-distance bicycle trip to Yunlin County — during which he met with nine legislative candidates from across the political spectrum — was a campaign ploy, critics have interpreted the trip as a move to boost his political influence ahead of the 2020 presidential race.
However, this is a questionable claim given the amount of variables both in Ko’s political future and in politics in general.
That said, one would be hard-pressed to deny that Ko has been transformed from a “political novice” to a full-fledged politician.
This transformation has alarmed many of Ko’s supporters, as from now on, any step in the wrong direction could destroy everything they perceive that Ko stands.
When Ko was elected in November last year, he was considered the answer to the nation’s bipartisan politics. The investigations he launched into the “five cases of malpractice” in the Taipei City Government established his image as an anti-establishment figure and his resolve to cut the large expenditure on annuities to free up capital for city projects cemented his status as a reformist.
Having raised expectations to such a height, Ko is walking a political tightrope by campaigning for legislative candidates, because if he serves a lackluster term, he would likely create disillusionment that would deepen public loathing for politics and distrust in politicians.
With progress on investigations slowing and Ko’s mediocre performance in office, it is understandable that some people believe Ko is making more effort to campaign for candidates he supports rather than pushing city government policies.
Ko has devised some good policies, such as the borough and neighborhood traffic improvement project to tackle the scooter problem, and some risible policies, such as the “mobile police stations.” However, his first year has been mostly characterized by controversies — from EasyCards featuring portraits of a Japanese adult video actress to his suspected influence-peddling on behalf of a former campaign office employee performing his alternative military service.
Ko, who has given numerous speeches declaring how crucial his victory in last year’s mayoral election was, clearly knows how great a responsibility he bears, which is why he must not fail Taipei residents.
Having vowed to help the nation break away from political polarization between the pan-green and pan-blue camps, Ko had better back out from politics after the January elections — whether or not his mission is fulfilled — and redouble his efforts to promote city policies; otherwise he would only alienate himself from his proudly neutral supporters, who identify themselves as members of the “white political force,” a term coined by Ko during his campaign.
After all, voters backed Ko because he was an independent and it is unlikely that those same people would be happy if he becomes a political chameleon.
Let us not overlook the fact that Ko was elected because people were tired of politicians. They wanted someone who could improve their lives, and they did not vote for someone so that person can play politics. The last thing Taiwanese need is another well-trained politician who puts his ambition before public interests.
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