Sat, Jul 13, 2002 page8

• Editorial: Competent decision-making needed

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  Now halfway into his term, President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) government can no longer be called new. But it's path has been rather wobbly so far. The DPP's fitful, jerky policy-making model, which the opposition parties have found difficult to accept and people in general have had a hard time getting used to, is the main problem.

  There are set procedures for the formulation of public policies, whereby government agencies discuss and reach a consensus and then seek a broader societal consensus. Only then can policies be implemented. If agencies hold divergent opinions on a controversial policy, then it is obviously not a good time to make decisions about it. Even if a decision is forced, there will be difficulties implementing it -- the decision to halt the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is a prime example. Without adequate internal coordination or external communication, the government announced it was halting construction of the plant. It then had to resume construction after enormous pressure from business and opposition parties. Taiwan paid a big price for that mistake. If the government's policy-making process had been more refined, much of that price and social cost could have been reduced or even avoided.

  As far as the DPP is concerned, Chang Chun-hsiung's (張俊雄) resignation as premier appears to have washed away all memories of the nuclear plant fiasco, but the DPP's inept approach to policy-making has reared its head again.

  A cross-party alliance appears to be the key to the DPP breaking through the opposition blockade in the Legislative Yuan. Chen, however, has been talking about both a summit of party leaders to discuss possible constitutional amendments and building a majority "alliance for national stability." No details have emerged to back up either plan. So it is no wonder that the hype coming out of the Presidential Office has made the opposition wary and led it to accuse the DPP of duplicity or trying to create a "black gold" alliance. Taking about two diametrically opposed options is not only incomprehensible to the opposition parties, but also unacceptable to society at large.

  Then there is the Romanization fiasco. The government has opted for Tongyong Pinyin instead of China's Hanyu Pinyin system -- which the UN and most of the rest of the world has become accustomed to. However, the central government says it will not force local governments to adopt the system. So why bother with it in the first place? The Romanization on road signs and government material will remain just as bewildering as ever -- perhaps even more so -- making it more difficult for foreigners to adapt to life here.

  Based on the DPP's administrative record, it appears that both the government and the party choose the most confrontational decision-making model everytime. Teenagers operate that way, governments should not. It is time the DPP matured a bit and took the time to fully study the obstacles it faces, work out a consensus, try to avoid conflicts and handle political disputes in a way that allows stable political, economic and social development. The people of Taiwan don't need political roller-coaster rides, they need to see concrete action on economic development. Otherwise the DPP will have a hard time convincing anyone to take a chance on it again.
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