During the first six months of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, there have been many missteps and U-turns, leaving people asking if President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration can deepen democratic reforms and further the nation’s autonomy.
Besides the attention given to the appointments of Cabinet members, Judicial Yuan members, as well as legislators-at-large — constant media exposure should serve to remind the DPP that it cannot continue to operate in a chaotic fashion now that it is in government.
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) in May instructed his government to approach policy reform systematically.
Soon, the minister of transportation and communications abolished a suspension of tolls on national freeways at night during extended vacations. The policy, in place for one year, was erroneously linked to a slight increase in traffic accidents at night during holiday periods. The cancelation resulted in traffic jams and caused public outrage. However, of greater concern is that the minister spent energy tinkering with a largely sound transportation policy.
The proposed “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” labor reform has been stirred up in the media to such an extent that the public no longer understands why the government decided to reform it in the first place. Which government department was responsible for proposing legislation to fix a nonexistent problem? Is it even worth spending so much money on this issue?
Same-sex marriage has again become a contentious issue at the legislature. Why introduce the bill now, revisiting a debate the public is already quite clear on? Will this somehow give the DPP greater credibility? By pushing this bill, the DPP has demonstrated that it still does not understand the importance of stability and that when in government it cannot continue to stir up sensitive issues. It is incomprehensible that a majority government would seek to bring trouble upon itself in this way.
Now that it is in government, the DPP no longer answers only to a small band of loyal supporters. It now answers to the silent majority. What this silent majority wants is something Tsai has previously spoken of. A government that does not play with politics with an eye to its own future. It wants legislators that make decisions in the nation’s long-term interests. The majority of voters do not want a government that pursues provocative and polarizing policies.
In opposition, the DPP was critical of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government for introducing controversial legislation. Now in government, the DPP must ensure it has a clear direction and is running the nation in a secure and stable fashion.
Great transformative change and challenges lie ahead for Taiwan in foreign affairs, energy policy, demographics, industrial policy, education and healthcare. The government, with its clear mandate, must stop wasting its resources on crowd-pleasing legislation.
If the silent majority loses patience and trust in the DPP, the party will soon find itself back in opposition. The heads of all the ministries and departments of government — and the majority of legislators — are where they are today because of the trust the public has given Tsai. They must not undermine the president, but they should systematically and rationally lend their support to policies that are desirable and farsighted.
The DPP must stop making a laughing stock of itself.
Huang Chin-yin is chair of Tunghai University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Enterprise Information.
Translated by Edward Jones
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