It has been nearly a year since Taiwan experienced the historic transfer of power from the KMT to the DPP. As the anniversary approaches, both the opposition and the media have been intensifying their review of the Chen administration's first year performance.
Despite the ups and downs of its first year in office, the new administration has the support of over half the public according to the latest polls. In terms of moves to crack down on "black gold," the government has won more than 70 percent of public endorsement. President Chen Shui-bian's (
To outside observers, Taiwan's political situation since Chen took power last May might appear to be one of chaos. They might believe that the Chen administration should bear the responsibility for all the political and social turmoil that has come with the transfer of power. In reality, however, the current political upheaval is rather a product of both the ruling and the opposition parties' failure to play the right role after Taiwan's first-ever transfer of power.
The political wrestling between the opposition-dominated Legislative Yuan and the DPP's minority government has been a manifestation of Taiwan's young democratic consolidation. In addition to the executive branch's review of its own role, a careful review of the Legislature is also needed.
A group of university professors recently published a list of 13 "troublemakers" in the Legislative Yuan who have "triggered political turmoil." The report indicated that those legislators, both from the opposition and ruling camps, are performing poorly and are creating strife within the legislature. The group therefore urged the public not to support the 13 lawmakers in the year-end legislative elections.
According to the report, the legislators in question are notorious for everything they do. Some are closely associated with money politics and have backgrounds in organized crime. Claiming that the report lacks legitimacy, the identified legislators have disputed its findings.
Despite the need to establish more objective criteria for evaluating legislators' performance, the report released by the academics deserves more attention, for it illustrates the urgent need to improve the quality of the legislature.
The most frequently argued issue related to the Legislative Yuan lies in the belligerent behavior and unreasonable boycott against the executive branch. In an attempt to express his dissatisfaction with the opposition's boycott over the government's key policy initiatives, Chen once complained that the opposition "opposes everything proposed by Chen Shui-bian."
The media plays a supplementary role in fanning the flames of such misconduct. Most media reports have emphasized the antagonism and tension between the ruling and opposition parties. To attract more limelight, it is natural for legislators to seek media exposure regardless of whether the impact of their sometimes unconventional behavior will be positive or negative.
The current single non-transferable voting system is the key to such chaos. Such an outdated system is no more than a cancer to Taiwan's democracy. As long as legislators can secure a certain number of voters, they may do whatever they can to filibuster the legislative process or humiliate government officials.
When the opposition attributed the source of the political and economic upheavals to the poor performance of the Chen administration, some surveys told a somewhat different story. According to one poll conducted by a prominent local monthly magazine, Commonwealth (
The results of the survey deserve special attention. A unified civil group was able to investigate the background of candidates in South Korea's congressional election last year. The move provided the voters a fair view of the candidates before they cast the votes. If the public can stop these poorly performing legislators from participating in politics, it may help the functioning of the legislature.
Therefore, to effectively improve the performance of Taiwan's legislature, several things must be done quickly. First, as the next congressional election is approaching, a legitimate and fair civil association, composed of experts, academics and members of the media, must be formed to monitor legislator performance.
Second, the media should refrain from reporting major news events staged by certain legislators who try to excuse themselves from wrongdoing. The local press must carefully balance its own commercial interests with its responsibility to educate the public about right and wrong.
Third, a constitutional revision is needed in order to reform the current electoral system. The aim is to enlarge individual legislator's legitimacy and to purify the nature of Taiwan's legislature.
Since Taiwan has just entered a new phase of democratic consolidation, the people of Taiwan have had neither the time nor the information to fairly and objectively assess the performance of the government. Neither have they had the opportunity to fully express their views. Political leaders, the media and the opposition need more time to get settled in the new era as well.
As Taiwan enters the stage of democratic consolidation, it will take more decisiveness and open-mindedness to move forward. The people had high expectations of Chen, believing that he would restore social justice and equality to ensure a brighter future.
In order to realize this aspiration, Chen needs to implement his promises by tackling black gold, revitalizing the economy, rejuvenating government efficiency and improving cross-strait ties.
While the public should exert pressure on the Chen administration, we must also keep a close eye on the performance of the legislature.
Liu Kuan-teh is a Taipei-based political commentator.
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