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Editorial: Battling for a Pyrrhic victory

The political maelstrom triggered by the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) dispute continued to grow yesterday as the opposition parties claimed to have collected endorsements from 141 legislators for a motion to recall the president. The recall drive is still continuing -- toward the magic number of 147 lawmakers necessary to pass a recall motion at the legislature. To counter the opposition's move, DPP supporters and pro-DPP organizations in southern Taiwan have also launched a drive to recall Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權). What's more, physical conflict broke out at the Taichung City Council yesterday over the nuclear row.

The recall drive has spread from the legislature to the grassroots level and is quickly becoming a nationwide confrontation. The dispute is also metamorphosing from a policy issue into a struggle between political parties, ideologies and even ethnic groups. The issue is cleaving Taiwan society in two.

The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is a policy issue that should be open to public debate. But the Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) government's lack of respect for due process -- and incredibly bad sense of timing in announcing its policy -- has created an opportunity for the opposition to join hands and attempt to topple him. Chen can hardly avoid the responsibility for this turn of events.

Is Chen's error so serious, however, that he must step down after less than half a year in office? That it is worth bringing Taiwan's development to a halt for half a year or even one year? While half of the populace do not support halting construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, a clear majority do not support recalling the president either, according to opinion polls.

The KMT has turned a blind eye to public opinion and, brandishing its legislative majority, pushed hard to move ahead with the recall drive. The party may not necessarily be able to achieve its goal of recalling Chen, but it certainly will lose an opportunity to show its support for democratic principles. Being rude to Lien Chan (連戰) is not a reason to recall a president elected freely and fairly. Even if the legislature passes the recall motion, public opinion polls tell us that the resulting showdown will be between Chen and the PFP's James Soong (宋楚瑜). As a contender for the presidency, Lien's chance for victory is nil. The PFP will be the biggest beneficiary of the recall drive while the KMT stands to gain little from it.

For DPP supporters to launch grassroots-level action to recall opposition legislators is a dangerous move that will only add fuel to the fire. Apart from escalating the dispute into a nationwide confrontation, it would also propel Taiwan deeper into social unrest. It certainly does not help defuse the conflict. Taiwan's economy would continue going downhill and test new lows as the impasse becomes more difficult to resolve.

In his book Trust, US scholar Francis Fukuyama said that mutual trust is a foundation for running a society effectively. Once again, Taiwan's low level of mutual trust has been ruined by political maneuvers. Resolving the nuclear plant row will have to begin with restoring mutual trust. Chen should personally apologize to Lien and the DPP should also make a gesture of goodwill by trying to stop the moves to recall opposition legislators. After the ruling party makes its conciliatory gestures, the opposition should also reopen the negotiation channels at the Legislative Yuan. Leaders from the four political parties should sit down and talk their way out of the political crisis.

If the political parties let the conflict spread from the central to local governments, from the legislature to the streets, or from verbal to physical conflict, victory in this political fight, whoever wins, can only be Pyrrhic.
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