The future is up to the people
The March 20 election is, unbeknownst to most, an intriguing dilemma: whose election would most benefit the continuing democratization of Taiwan: the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) ticket or the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)?
Democratization theory generally refers to distinct phases: transition and consolidation. While transition culminated in the election of President Chen Shui-bian (
Consolidation of the political process is generally agreed to occur with the consolidation election -- a moment when the incumbent peacefully accepts electoral defeat, thereby further entrenching electoral rules.
This is particularly interesting in Taiwan as the consolidation election would require the replacement of a group of democrats with the remnants of the previous authoritarian regime. This results in the following problem: what would be better for Taiwanese demo-cracy? The re-election of the democratic incumbent and delaying the moment of electoral consolidation or the empowering of a group with admitted authoritarian preferences?
Thankfully, no academics or self-styled experts need to make this decision. It is the Taiwanese people who are burdened with the critical task of determining their country's future.
Benjamin Adams
New Zealand
Rally turns 228 around
With 2 million people forming a human chain to protest China's missile threat, Taiwanese turned a historically sad day -- the anniversary of the 228 Incident -- into a proud day in style. Those innocent lives lost under the brutal oppression of the KMT were not in vain after all.
An atrocity like the 228 Incident is only possible when people are ruled by a dictatorship. Last Saturday, Taiwanese stood up and said no to a dictatorial regime, just like in 1947. However, this time, they did not need to hide or run away for fear of being harmed. This time, with confidence and courage, they acted magnificently.
During the rally, they shouted slogans like "loving peace and democracy," "yes, Taiwan" and "no missiles."
This was a message that nobody should take lightly. Might does not make right. Even a superpower like the US realized this in Iraq.
Ironically, the human-chain event would have been welcomed in those good old days when Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) was in power. The pan-blues are now describing these democratic actions, as well as the coming referendum, as provocative to China and labelling the human chain an ethnic manipulation to gain an electoral advantage.
This year Feb. 28 was a very special day for all Taiwanese. Their compatriots died 57 years ago without the protection of freedom and democracy, and now we were defending them on this memorable day.
Yang Ji-charng
United States
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
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