Mon, Jun 04, 2001 page8

• What workedwith Russia can work for Taiwan, too

  • By Alexander Pisarev and Lin Hsiang-yi 林湘義
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has been in office for one year. There are many opinions and discussions regarding the government's performance in the areas of constitutional politics, cross-strait relations, the economy and unemployment over the past year.

  This article will look at the issue from the perspective of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has also been in office for one year, and hopes to provide some inspiration for Taiwan's current political and economic predicaments.

  Putin won the presidential election with 52 percent of the popular vote in the first run on March 26 last year. He succeeded Boris Yeltsin to become Russia's second elected president.

  Before Putin took office, Russia's political situation was in turmoil and was the frequent focus of global media attention.

  However, under Putin's rule, Russia's politics and economy have gradually stablized and have even seen marked improvement in a number of areas.

  This is in stark contrast to the fierce confrontation between the executive and legislative branches Yeltsin left his successor. However, a part of this difference can be attributed to Putin's party winning a majority in parliament, a measure of support that Yeltsin never enjoyed.

  In Russia's parliamentary elections in 1993 and 1995, the anti-Yeltsin forces polled well in comparison to the pro-Yeltsin forces in the Russian parliament. The executive and legislative branches were locked in continuous conflict.

  The parliament even came under artillery fire. A gaggle of prime ministers, including Viktor Chernomyrdin, Sergei Kiriyenko, Sergei Stepashin and Yevgeny Primakov came and went in swift succession. After the 1999 parliamentary election and the 2000 presidential election, the situation in Russia's parliament changed dramatically.

  Yeltsin resigned before the end of his term at the end of 1999. The young and charismatic acting president Putin enjoyed great popularity and won a landslide victory in the presidential election.

  Over the past year, the pro-Putin political forces in parliament, including the Unity and the Fatherland-All Russia parties, have joined hands to become a mainstream alliance, which controls more parliamentary seats than the communists -- Yeltsin's nemesis -- and the reform camp.

  Plus, with support from the Union of Rightist Forces, the Apple Party and other pro-Putin political groups, Putin now has over 60 percent support in the parliament.

  It is worthy of special note that the current coalition includes the Fatherland-All Russia Party, which had exerted great efforts to support Primakov in the presidential election. Thus, the Communist Party became a minority in the parliament and was no longer a destabilizing factor.

  Learning from the Russian experience, Taiwan's president should make efforts to gain the public support and gain a majority in the current sitting legislature. Since Chen has thus far failed to achieve either of the above, he is in quite a predicament.

  Therefore, Chen must organize a coalition government in a bid to improve the efficacy of his government and, thereby, its standing with the public. Furthermore, Chen should tailor his policies to meet public expectations.

  Yeltsin won over 50 percent of votes, yet was still hamstrung by his lack of support in the legislature. Therefore, Chen should learn from Putin in winning public support and building a coalition in the legislature.

  Alexander Pisarev is the director of the Institute of Slavic Studies at Tamkang University. Lin Hsiang-yi is a master's candidate at Tamkang University.

  Translated by Jackie Lin.
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