Since the election, virtually all of Taiwan's media have been focused on President-elect Chen Shui-bian
In a TVBS interview on Monday, Lu was forthright in expressing her displeasure over the role that she has been given so far in the forming of a new government. She said the DPP had neither consulted nor informed her about possible Cabinet choices and hinted that Chen should fulfill his promise of giving her an active role in the administration.
Lu has not yet taken office and it was clearly inappropriate for her to make such remarks. Her words also raised the concern of some DPP officials, many of whom have been worried about Lu for some time. "Everyone holds their breath every time she opens her mouth," is how a party member once described it.
Concern about Lu appears to stem from her single-minded approach to dealing with several delicate issues, especially foreign policy and cross-strait relations. Lu feels that these are her specialities and believes that her foreign policy knowledge can help to make up for Chen's lack of experience in these areas.
She may be right, but the DPP's main task at present is to maintain stability in government policy, especially externally with the US and China. "Security above all else" is the DPP's motto right now. The incoming leadership cannot afford to make any mistakes and the party, as a result, is asking for self-restraint within its ranks to avoid statements that China might find provocative. Unfortunately, this is where Lu and many within the DPP part ways.
In her speeches, Lu often mentions that the people of Taiwan are not afraid of China's military threats and that Taiwan should increase its international recognition. These are all long-term goals of the DPP, of course. But when Lu vocally raised these issues in her victory speech on March 18, it sparked a strong negative reaction within the party. The Washington Post caught onto the story and published a long article chronicling an emerging split within the DPP, between the pragmatists and hardliners, represented by Lu.
This is a pity, because it had appeared that the rift was healed and it was this impression that did so much to boost the DPP ticket's chances of winning during the campaign. It was not easy: Chen had to go against the mainstream of the party to get Lu nominated as the DPP's vice-presidential candidate, despite her status as an accomplished woman leader, her experience in the feminist and democracy movements over the past two decades and her work on foreign relations.
Admittedly, after playing such a vocal role in the women's movement in Taiwan, it would be cruel to now ask Lu to keep a low profile. But the harsh fact of the matter is that the status of the vice-presidency is higher than the actual authority of the office and it is often a frustrating and embarrassing role.
Ultimately, the relationship between Chen and Lu is not a political problem, but merely a question of management. Both are learning how to fill their new roles. If Lu can learn how to tone down her tendency for making strongly worded comments and accentuate her learning experience as the first female vice president in Taiwan's history, then there is no limit to what she could accomplish during her term. If not, however, serious problems lie ahead.
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