Taiwan's first-ever presidential recall motion failed, as expected, to be passed by the legislature. Called political theater by some, this extraordinary political show has changed the nation's politics in several key ways.
To begin with, the recall attempt and the Cultural Revolution-style political attacks by the pan-blue camp in collusion with pro-unification media have provided President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen has been given an early opportunity to prepare for the next election, as he, Premier Su Tseng-chang (
The "balance of terror" reached between the four most powerful DPP figures and much feared among pan-green supporters, collapsed on the eve of the legislature's recall vote, thus removing a major obstacle to the unity that followed on the vote.
Further, after the loss of morale following the DPP's defeat in last year's three-in-one local elections, the recall campaign provided a new rallying point. The word on the street is that the grassroots once again are ready to participate in Taiwanese politics.
After Chen lost the his re-election bid for Taipei mayor in 1998 despite high approval ratings, Hsieh's bid means that the DPP now stands a great chance to win back Taipei, called by some "Taiwan's Chinatown."
The narcissistic media darling, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma's harsh statements aimed at Chen during the recall campaign have turned central and southern Taiwan against him, areas that previously were neutral in their appraisal of Ma. After being elected KMT chairman, Ma has fallen from divine status to become a normal person, and, after the recall motion, a mediocre person in the eyes of many.
And finally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, whose legislators cast invalid votes in the legislative recall vote and then said that the DPP and its supporters only support localization to create a Chen Shui-bian personality cult, is now rumored to be flirting with Ma and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), making us all wonder where they really stand politically.
Chen Gau-tzu is deputy director of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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