Political warfare between the central and local governments as well as the ruling and opposition camps is becoming more open every day. With the year-end elections for Taipei and Kaohsiung mayors looming, however, the feuding is becoming more bare-knuckled -- and more petty.
Yesterday for example, the Executive Yuan sent a letter to the Judicial Yuan to express its hope that the Council of Grand Justices would not accept Taipei City's application for a constitutional interpretation on its plan to postpone borough warden elections. The Kaohsiung City Council voted on a proposal to abolish the city's information bureau. A brawl broke out in the Legislative Yuan over whether the central government should help Taipei City pay the Keelung River clean-up project. And Kuo Yao-chi (
Such disputes are nothing new. The KMT government never missed an opportunity to block Chen Shui-bian's (
Many of the disputes could easily be resolved with better communication and coordination, the mechanisms for which are already prescribed by law. Unfortunately, with one eye on the ballot box, party interests are turning even minor issues into major uproars. At the heart of many of the disputes is the unequal distribution of funds and power between the central government, the special municipalities and other local governments.
The allocation of funds is regulated by the Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (
The division of power between the central and local governments was reviewed again and again as part of the legislative process when the Local Government Systems Law was enacted. The law provides legal provisions for resolving the disputes. The parties in the disputes between the central and local governments often ignore their legal remedies in favor of media hype.
The never-ending cycle of conflict between the various levels of government is a drain on society's energy and deleterious to Taiwan's economy. They are also a deterrence to investment, whether domestic or foreign.
In August, Chen will become DPP chairman. Before that happens, he must set clear priorities and a clear dividing line between his work for the nation and his work on behalf of his party for the December elections. If he does so, he will set an example for other politicians to follow. Taiwan can no longer afford to sacrifice its economic development on the altar of political expediency.
Opposition parties would also do well to reflect on whether they can succeed by repeating the same negative strategies that lost them votes in last year's legislative elections. The opposition parties don't have a very good track record when it comes to recognizing reality. Let's hope Chen and the DPP don't make the same mistake.
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