Taiwan has experienced a "rotation of the ruling party"(
Garnering less than 40 percent of the votes, President Chen Shui-bian (
By Yu Sha
Under President Chen's leadership during the past eight months, the political situation at home became chaotic, the island's economic development began to regress, and the political struggle between ruling and opposition parties climaxed. People's faith in the government became shaky, and their suffering index hit the roof. Taiwan is experiencing a political, economical, social, and cultural crisis that is essentially a complication from a transfer of power.
1. Political crisis
In the initial phase of President Chen's presidency, he put together a Cabinet based on political ideals generated for "all people." He understood that his administration is structurally incapable of playing a leading role in party politics. Therefore, he sought popular support to back up the appeals proposed by his administration. The Constitution of the Republic of China provides for neither a presidential system nor a Cabinet system, but a cohabitation system under which the president and the legislature must engage in a tug-of-war for power.
This particular constitutional system of government is conditional on a high degree of democratic experience and familiarity with the techniques of political maneuvering. The operation of the minority government became trapped in an embarrassing predicament as a result of its birth defects and subsequently man-made errors.
President Chen is very inexperienced in political democracy, as well as the handling of important political, economic, financial, cross-strait, and foreign affairs issues. The new administration's lack of understanding for the complex mechanisms of the central government, and the complicated webs of ethnic relationships on the island, and inability to continue the economic development policies of its predecessor have caused Taiwan to undergo a fundamental reversal of fortune within less than eight months.
President Chen's presidency is based on the DPP charter. First, Chen stated that the Meinung Water Reservoir (
Although President Chen has declared during the inauguration speech that "[he] will not declare Taiwan independence, incorporate the special state-to-state model into the Constitution, abolish the National Unification Council, and amend the National Unification Guideline." However, China retains a skeptical attitude of "observing [Chen's] conduct, and keeping an open ear for [Chen's] talk (
The struggle in the legislature between the minority ruling party and the majority opposition parties has intensified. The chaos in the government and the parliament spilled over into Taiwan's economy and society. In the past, the economic growth of Taiwan had allowed the Taiwanese to enjoy a plentiful and happy life, made Taiwan a member of the developed countries, led the world to a better understanding of Taiwan, and helped Taiwan win international recognition.
Taiwan had a very unpleasant experience when the ROC was excluded from the UN and its diplomatic ties with Central American countries severed, close to one million Taiwanese immigrated to democratic countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in pursuit of a secure life. During the presidency of ex-president Lee Teng-hui (
2. Economic crisis
Taiwan has crossed over into a democratic country. People living in a democratic society all have a high degree of compulsion to succeed and a set of clear values. The drive to succeed is the momentum ushering Taiwan society on to a path toward modernization. The DPP's experience as an opposition party has only shaped an ability to mobilize the mass, and win over power with struggles. It lacks the administrative, practical, decision-making, communication, and coordinating skills to lead, manage, and run a country. The government has left virtually all the professionals with financial, economic, tax, and national defense talents idle. Therefore, it has so far failed to draft any clear financial development policies, strategies, and directions to create a quality investment environment, and to encourage investors and businesses to develop Taiwan's economy, and improve the people's quality of life.
Engulfing Taiwan is China's most important policy toward Taiwan. The strategy is to absorb or win over even more Taiwan businesses and opposition lawmakers, so that the Taiwan government may be besieged by Taiwan businessmen or the ruling party may be besieged by the opposition parties. With respect to Taiwan businessmen, China offers excellent business opportunities and interests, such as outstanding investment environment, lower production costs, lower operation costs, and so on, leaving Taiwanese businessmen with enormous illusions about investing in China. The goal is to absorb Taiwan capital, lure the relocation of Taiwan businesses to China, and take away the capital of Taiwan's banks. The new Taiwan government lacks the needed professionalism and talents to take charge of Taiwan's financial development. The new Taiwan government does not seem to realize that once Taiwan's economy collapses, it will take down politics and society as a result of a domino effect. The government's governing ideals are detached from the reality of Taiwan's survival and development. It will probably take more experience and training before the new administration can smoothly navigate Taiwan's economy and society.
In the post-Cold War era, international economic relations conducted through new financial and economic bodies such as the EU, APEC, NAFTA, and so on, began to replace political relations. Under such bodies, regional economic and trade cooperative relationships replaced the traditional polarization between democracy and totalitarianism, as well as military checks and balances. The WTO also penetrated regional economy to introduce new international relationships based on supply and demand in the world market. The US strongly supported GATT which originated from Europe. GATT, in time, evolved into the WTO. The WTO presents a new network of international relationships that would help bring China and Taiwan into the world village and economic community.
However, Taiwan government lacks policy-making talents who understand the new world economic order and domestic economic development. Since the beginning of the new administration until now, it remains unable to provide any financial and economic policies to sustain the development of Taiwan's economy. In fact, the government abruptly declared a halt to the ongoing construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, and the impending construction of Meinung Water Reservoir. The moves triggered political and social conflicts and chaos. The resulting panic and disappointment of the economic society ignited the political storm of presidential recall. The capital market toppled, the faith of the investors evaporated, and the willingness to invest weakened. Failing businesses shut down one by one, and the number of businesses relocating to China increased. The financial crisis of banking institutions began to emerge.
The DPP has a very strong anti-business sentiment. The DPP believes that businessmen were accomplices to the corruption of the KMT government. The link of capitalists and mafia with politicians was a fundamental reasons for the establishment and sustaining of the KMT regime. President Chen hopes to reshape the image of government. He believes that if Taiwan politics is ever to become clean, the black-gold affiliations left over from the KMT era must be uprooted. Political struggles of such nature were before typically adopted by local government heads in transferring power to the opposition. Little did President Chen realize that the retaliatory maneuver brought him the risk of being recalled, as well as tremendous political, economic, and social cost to Taiwan.
The society at large had from the very beginning felt skeptical about the new administration's ability to govern. Over and over again, problems derived from the government's decision-making, leadership style, congressional maneuvering. In the end, the conduct of the legislators also made the society at large and the business community lose faith in the government. Even the academic circle criticized the president's leadership ability and conduct. President Chen "talks too much," and "acts solely for the sake of preparing for re-election." The president's performance has been less than ideal with respect to coordination between the Executive Yuan, and parliament, as well as between the political parties. However, the public maintains a very high regard for the Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan's (
3. Social and cultural crisis
The social and political structure of Taiwan is very complicated. The Legislative Yuan and the media are the totems of Taiwan's political democracy. However, they are experiencing a meltdown in their functions as democratic mechanisms, resulting in the escalation of chaos in Taiwan's democratic structure.
During the KMT regime, the legislature and the media were virtually all under KMT control. KMT held more than half of the seats in the legislature. The opposition parties held approximately one-third of the seats, while independents held the remaining seats. In the Executive Yuan, all the ministers were professional and bureaucratic officials. Their professional capabilities and decision-making abilities were outstanding. The current ruling party DPP now holds only 66 of seats in the legislature, less than one-third of the total seats. All the newly appointed ministers and department heads in the Executive Yuan do not have sufficient professional experience. Plus, DPP lawmakers do not know how to play the role of ruling party lawmakers. The executive and legislative works have become a big mess.
Social order in Taiwan has become extremely incoherent. Our society has been unable to establish a culture based on modern behavioral values and disciplines. As a result, the legislature is often the source of social disorder and chaos. The legislators have the right to make interpellation, legislate, approve budgets, execute treaties and declare wars. However, with respect to the execution of their most important and professional powers -- budget approval and lawmaking -- the legislators have been incapable and disinterested. Instead, they irresponsibly abuse their right to make interpellation, paralyzing governmental functions, and making government operation virtually impossible.
Besides abusing the right to make interpellation, the legislature has set up a playhouse called "national affairs forum" (
These are serious problems in Taiwan's society.
The poor structural design of the legislature is already enough of a birth defect. To make the matter worse, the lawmakers are not very well-qualified. As a result, the legislature has become a source of political and social unrest. Currently, about 70 percent of the legislators are either highly ideological or with black-gold affiliations. Only about 20 percent are professional lawmakers. The structure of the legislature and the functions of the lawmakers are flawed in design. Plus, the ruling and opposition parties hold divergent views about the independent sovereignty of Taiwan. This difference contributes to the lack of mutual trust and consensus. The legislature is destined to become an arena for struggle. The people of Taiwan have long become disappointed with the incapable legislature.
The political chaos of Taiwan results in part from government's policies and decision-making method, and in part from the struggles between legislators and between parties over money and power. For example, they fight to help the local governments obtain subsidies for small construction projects. Once the subsidies are disbursed to the local governments, the money becomes nutrient for local factions or mafia. The government's efforts to clean up black gold, and mafia directly clashed against the local mafia figures and indirectly clashed against the legislature. About 60 percent of the lawmakers belong to local factions and they rarely attend sessions in the legislature. Their focus is on their personal career, local factions, and serving their voters. All they care about in the legislature is how to obtain special interests. On the surface, they are exercising their power to make interpellation. Actually, they are threatening the government and helping special interest groups to make under-the-table negotiations.
Upon examining the performance of the lawmakers, we come to the conclusion that only about 30 percent are cut out for the job. Lawmakers rely on rude behavior such as name calling, personal insults, and offensive remarks in exercising their power to make interpellation. The said power is also exercised in combination with their exercise of the powers to approve budgets and make laws as a way of making threats against the new administration. The lawmakers' great powers prove the accuracy of the philosophical observation that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." Inappropriate behaviors in making interpellation creates many negative social impacts. Even primary school students copy the rude behavior in the legislature by jumping on to desks, pulling out the plugs of microphones, and fighting in gangs, pushing social culture further down into the water's deep end.
A political culture of "chaos" and "corruption" has become the image of Taiwan's parliament. The corruption and poor performance of the legislature have caused deterioration in social, political, and financial relationships. How to improve the structure and quality of the legislature so as to bring professionalism, law and order -- and quality -- to the operation of congress, has become the most important topic for the sake of popular welfare.
4. Taiwan's media
The Taiwan media is also a serious political and social problem. The media consider itself the "fourth power" in a democratic society. The current broadcasting media is disorderly, biased and prejudiced, as well as incapable of making in-depth analysis and reporting of facts. The people are beginning to realize that the media have turned Taiwan into an irrational society. Political programs, call-in shows, shows offering call-in voting, and over-commercialized shows have become accomplices to the destruction of social values and refined cultures.
The media is a public tool. It should serve as the bridge or liaison between the government and the people, as well as help people supervise the government, help satisfy the people's right to know, and reveal the immoral and unjust in society -- to advocate social justice. This kind of media is worthy of people's respect. Most foreign media are commercial in nature. The media in Taiwan, besides being controlled by business groups, are also often backed and controlled by political parties, and political and military powers. The commercial influence has made media-aired shows poor quality, which corrupts our society further. The political manipulation of the media has often made reporting on political, social, and cultural events twisted by political ideologies. Much reporting of facts readily available for verification is done without prior verification. Reporting is in many instances carelessly made, fabricated, exaggerated, and demeaning. They are often made to make waves, create hatred, and corrupt conscience. The media may be appropriately deemed as accomplices to social unrest. Media reporting is overflowing with stories of absurd conduct by the lawmakers as well as murders, crimes, and scandals. The social image presented by such reporting is often far from reality.
The media is a public tool of the society. It enjoys special privileges on one hand, and bears social responsibilities -- which it cannot evade -- on the other hand. The media's influence on politics, society, and cultures in general is tremendous. These are issues that members of the Taiwan media must consider and reflect. The media lack social responsibility, professional ethics and disciplines, and have become in essence tools to fool the people and shape a vulgar culture. The pursuit of media professionalism, self-discipline, and reform is imperative for our society.
The chaos in Taiwan politics, economy, and social culture is a result of a combination of inter-connected factors, resulting in complicated syndromes unique to Taiwan.
The difficult domestic issues have weakened President Chen Shui-bian's ability to handle cross-strait relations, destroying potential for the island's political, economic, and social development. This is key to Taiwan's transition from happiness and hope to pessimism and sorrow. The situation is disadvantageous to President Chen.
However, a crisis is also an opportunity for change. If President Chen is able to make it through all the difficulties wisely, he will still be able to lead Taiwan through a thorough top-to-bottom reform as the island marches toward the 21st century.
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