Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has gone from Taipei mayoral candidate to mayor-elect, but he does not seem to be adapting very smoothly to his new role. His personality has sparked quite a lot of controversy, as have his experimental “open” strategies that differ from the norm.
Ko’s background as a physician has engendered habits of impatience, making indiscreet pronouncements and regarding numbers as most important.
When patients and their families seek medical treatment their neediness can easily cause doctors to see themselves as god-like creatures who exist on a higher plain than ordinary folk. This makes it hard for a doctor like Ko to get in touch with the complex world of politics and worldly affairs.
Ko is aware of the impulsive side of his character, which attracted much criticism during his election campaign, and he often uses the American expression “First take a deep breath, sit back and relax.”
Having started out as a little too frank and outspoken, he has learned to exercise self-discipline and avoid letting his mouth run ahead of his mind.
Candidates are permitted to go crazy, building momentum for their campaigns by throwing out issues and proposals non-stop, because at that stage voters still have a choice. However, polling day has passed, the dust has settled and the fervor of campaigning is over. Now the winning candidates have to go back to being calm and patient as they get down to the business of running their respective towns and counties. They must bear their responsibilities by implementing policies that are good for their constituencies.
When former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) met with Ko on Dec. 12, he urged him to be “humble, calm and patient,” and that is the right remedy for this patient’s malady.
Since winning the election, Ko has had problems appointing the right people for various posts, allotting his time efficiently, deciding what is important, deciding what is urgent and thinking about what really matters in terms of policy implementation. Instead, he has been rushing about from one public event to another, clutching his head and complaining about how unsettled he feels and about how people keep calling him and asking for favors. This failure to grasp the important points is really a bit abnormal.
When winning candidates need to present their policies, they should first go over them calmly and thoroughly with their expert advisers. If they hastily toss half-baked ideas into the public arena, only to take a step back when doubts are expressed, their credibility will surely suffer.
Personnel appointments are Ko’s biggest headache. As a doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital, Ko had to appoint a team of colleagues to manage the hospital’s pioneering use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, but finding the right people to run the Taipei City Government is nowhere near as simple a task.
Ko has chosen a novel way of selecting members of his mini-Cabinet, but he did not explain the rules of the game clearly enough. Problems arose when people found out how selection points were awarded, and the messy process is making it harder for Ko to exercise his right to pick his staff. Many of his advisers, as well as those competing for the posts in question, have suffered a loss of dignity and the issue has generated unnecessary controversy for little purpose.
According to this preliminary diagnosis, the best remedy for Ko would be to shake off the passions of an election candidate and take the medicine that Lee suggested. He must start playing the role of mayor by calmly preparing to run the city. Showtime is over and voters now want to see positive results.
James Wang is a political commentator.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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