Taipei Times: What's your strongest impression in observing this election?
Ruan Ming (阮銘): I have been observing Taiwan's elections since 1996 and see each election in Taiwan as another step toward democratization. People have voted in this election according to their preferences for political parties. It is an encouraging sign that voters were wise enough not to believe in false media reports and polls but made their own choices freely.
The reaction from the international community has been quite positive. It was one of the cleanest and most efficient elections in Taiwan. People in Taiwan observe their election through a magnifying glass and can easily find fault with it. But as an outsider, I observe with a telescope and admire what Taiwan has achieved.
TT: Were the election results a big surprise for you? What's your interpretation?
Ruan: I was not too surprised by the result. ... The fact that some KMT and New Party legislative candidates with high publicity, such as Ting Shou-chung (
As for the DPP, much credit should go to President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) campaigning for party candidates. I find it quite ridiculous that the party leaders congratulated themselves for the result when they didn't have the confidence to nominate enough candidates to vie for an outright majority.
TT: Now that the DPP is both the ruling party and the largest party in the Legislative Yuan, what do you think is the possible course of political development in the future?
Ruan: With the advantage it now has, the DPP should not be complacent, but should be more modest [than before] and strive for unity.
The key to political stability really depends on what President Chen will do and the DPP must stand behind Chen. I think the DPP should put national interests first and seek to cooperate with the PFP with sincerity, in that a coalition of the DPP and PFP will be the most stable among all possible combinations.
James Soong (宋楚瑜) should be the premier because this will boost people's confidence domestically in the administration and help solve economic problems, and externally this would reduce China's anxiety over Taiwan's independence sentiments.
If the DPP just thinks about how to win the next presidential election there will be no future for Taiwan.
TT: How do you envision former president Lee Teng-hui's (
Ruan: [The results show] Lee has been a great help to Chen and the DPP in the elections and that his influence had been underestimated. Lee has made it clear that he wanted to help Chen Shui-bian's government because he thinks Chen isn't doing well enough.
Taiwan Advocates (群策會), which was masterminded by Lee, has been declared a "do and think tank." It might function as a pressure group, now that it has backing from both grassroots supporters -- The Association of the Friends of Lee Teng-hui (李友會) and the Northern Taiwan Society (北社), etc -- and a political party -- the TSU. It can do research on various policies and prompt the government to carry them out. Its founding ceremony [held yesterday] will be an occasion to look for potential partners for cooperation in the future.
RSS