In the past few days, The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has opened registration for its presidential primary. Party members who intend to register as a candidate, in addition to fulfilling other requirements, must pay a deposit of NT$2 million (US$64,282) and a further administrative fee of NT$7 million. To put it another way, aspiring candidates must reach into their pockets and stump up NT$9 million.
Most people seem to think that this is a trivial matter, but it clearly demonstrates that the party has yet to come to its senses. Despite the KMT’s crushing defeat at last year’s nine-in-one elections, it has not yet shown any signs of remorse. Instead, it continues to allow itself to be bogged down in a plutocratic quagmire.
The US is an example of a modern and democratic nation, and is the main point of reference for Taiwan’s political system. A look at the US process for registering presidential candidates shows the amount of money that a candidate is required to pay out is much lower than in Taiwan.
In the US, political parties do not require candidates to submit a deposit; instead, each state makes its own decision. For example, in the state of Louisiana, party members who intend to register as a candidate for the presidential primary are only required to pay a deposit of US$750 or provide proof of 5,000 signatures; in some states only a list of signatures is required.
By contrast, in Taiwan, candidates for the presidential primary must shell out an exorbitant amount of money.
It may well be asked, how on earth can an ordinary member of the public come up with NT$9 million? To be able to fork out that kind of money, a candidate must be very wealthy or supported by big business. In such a situation, would the candidate be able to remain impartial and make decisions without fear or favor? Would such a candidate be able to avoid taking into consideration the views of their wealthy benefactor?
This is not to say that all wealthy individuals conspire against the poor, but is the high financial barrier to run for president necessary? In such a system, honest candidates, detached from the pursuit of material wealth, are left powerless and frustrated — unable to fulfill their aspirations. Or viewed cynically, maybe by becoming president, it is possible to make 100, 1,000 or even 10,000 times more than the NT$9 million registration fee, and a prospective candidate can see the outlay as something of an investment.
Many people concur that one of the main reasons why the KMT was left with its trousers down at last year’s nine-in-one election was that the distribution of resources in Taiwan is deeply unequal along class and generational lines, with wealth concentrated among a small, privileged few. This situation has created a new “five noes” — no marriage, no birth, no raising of children, no life and no future prospects for the younger generation.
If the KMT is still unable to see the writing on the wall and clings to a system of presidential primaries for the privileged few, then it is clear that come election day next year, the KMT will not only lose its trousers; its underpants will be torn off too.
Yaung Chih-liang is a former Department of Health minister.
Translated by Edward Jones
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