President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) most famous comment last year was the one in which he referred to "stones." He was indicating that one of the factors behind the new government's difficult time implementing policies and fulfilling campaign promises was the old bureaucrats and their traditional attitude about serving the public. President Chen referred to them as the "stones" standing in the way of progress, and therefore said that they needed to be removed. Other people, on the other hand, offered different interpretations as to who the "stones" to which Chen referred really were. Whichever way the reference was interpreted, however, it was almost always negatively. These "stones" may have been considered negative last year, but they can turn into something positive in 2001, if we do the right thing.
There are at least five kinds of "stones" that are positive. These are cornerstones, flint stones, millstones, limestone, and milestones. A cornerstone is the foundation of a building. If the cornerstone is not laid properly, a building will not stand properly. The cornerstone is so important that often it is inscribed and laid in an official ceremony that marks the beginning of a building's construction. In Taiwan, the cornerstone for our political democracy is the Constitution. Both the ruling party and the opposition need to adhere to the provisions as well as the spirit of the Constitution. Without respect for the basic law of the land, it is impossible to talk about bi-partisanship or a coalition government.
Last year, we witnessed an economic downturn, evidenced by the collapse of the stock market, the depreciation of the currency, and the increase in the unemployment rate. The lack of confidence in the government created a sense of despair toward Taiwan's economic future. A flint stone appears to be what we need to give a spark to our stagnant condition and generate momentum to remove such pessimism. The ruling elite, especially Chen, should play the role of a "flint stone" to restore people's confidence in the government and in Taiwan's economy.
In Chen's eyes, the opposition parties are obstacles to the success of the administration. They are even viewed as saboteurs lurking in the dark forever seeking the opportunity to make a strike. Opposition will always be opposition. Chen should not expect them to be cooperative and compromising. This year, the ruling party must adopt a different approach towards the opposition parties, ie,consider them as millstones grinding and crushing wheat to produce flour. The opposition serves to drive the ruling party to work harder and be more creative and responsive, and the ruling party should view it in precisely that light.
In addition to political leaders, each citizen of this country is responsible for making a better year. We should think of ourselves as comparable to limestone, one of the most useful materials in both architecture and agriculture. Limestone of course is the major source of lime, an important material for cement. It is also an important building material in its own right because it wears better than sandstone and is more easily shaped than granite. Crushed limestone can be used for paving, and helps neutralize soil acids for farmers. There will be many daunting challenges for Taiwan in the coming year, the approaching decade and the new century. As we are all part of the community, we have to be resourceful in meeting these challenges and play different but complementary roles. Some of us may become visible parts of a magnificent building; others will be in the cement that helps to solidify the building. Some of us may contribute by being parts of a paved road; others may help to neutralize the acids hurting the plants. We may have different functions but we can all contribute to building a better Taiwan this year.
Milestones are significant events in history. They provide us with a sense of accomplishment. In the last decade or so, Taiwan has achieved many major milestones on the way to becoming an economically prosperous and politically democratic nation. The milestone last year was the change of ruling parties. Due to flaws in the structural design of our Constitution, however, a popularly elected president is forced to cohabit with a legislature in which the opposition is the majority party. The resulting political bickering and division has been a big disappointment. The new milestone this year is either a coalition government or the implementation of a dual-headed, semi-presidential system that allows the majority party in the Legislative Yuan to form the government. In the economic arena, a major milestone will be Taiwan's membership in the World Trade Organization. The"small three links" is already a milestone in cross-strait relations. These milestones illustrate not only that Taiwan is a mature democracy and an advanced economy, but also our sincerity about having a more relaxed relationship with China.
Once many of the milestones have been passed, Taiwan can then talk about the capstone. A capstone is the uppermost stone of a structure in architecture. It represents the highest point or achievement in our history. People in Taiwan will have different views as to what this capstone may be. The importance of having such a stone is it provides us with a vision as well as an inspiration. Let's forget the past and bravely embrace the future, knowing that with these stones in hand and in sight, we can be positive and optimistic.
Chen-shen J. Yen is a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University.
Translated by Scudder Smith
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