Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Wednesday came under fire from city councilors across party lines, who accused him of using public resources for his political party as the presidential and legislative elections approach.
The councilors accused public officials working for Ko of neglecting their duties to assist the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and said that Ko himself has been traveling outside the city excessively to discuss party business. The accusations come less than a week after Ko was criticized for describing Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) as “a fatter version of [Kaohsiung Mayor] Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜)” in response to a comparison made between him and Han.
Double standards seem to be lost on Ko, as he has accused Han, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential nominee, of neglecting his mayoral duties to focus on the election. Some Taipei city councilors have also criticized Ko for touting the transparency of his administration while reportedly holding several private meetings with pro-China Want Want China Times Group chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明), meeting with government officials in Shanghai and campaigning for his party.
In August, there was speculation in Chinese-language media that the TPP might be a contender to become the “third force” in the legislature, pushing out the New Power Party (NPP), which has been challenged by factionalism, with key legislators resigning. Those speculations have all but disappeared in the face of rapidly declining public support, which Ko has blamed on unpredictable “extreme politics” that caused Han to soar to popularity seemingly out of nowhere.
However, the issue is much simpler than that. The NPP was an important force in the legislature because it raised objections to questionable policies. It tied up controversial bills that otherwise might have passed due to the power of the two major parties. The TPP seems unlikely to do that if Ko spends his time insulting and criticizing others, rather than seeking justice for the public on important issues.
Ko must also be more open on his stance toward China. Internet celebrity Holger Chen (陳之漢) has urged him not to remain ambiguous on the independence/unification debate. This is especially important now that China’s “one country, two systems” formula has been proven a failure, with numerous reports that Hong Kong police have used excessive force against pro-democracy protesters. Ko has urged China not to suppress the Hong Kong democracy movement by force and has said that Taiwan could be a model of democratization for China.
It is not clear whether this is naivety or insincerity on Ko’s part, but China has on numerous occasions blamed other countries for fanning the flames of discord in Hong Kong, and there are reports that Beijing has instructed Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) not to resign and not to cede to the protesters’ “five demands.”
Ko should also show his sincerity in describing himself as an alternative to “extreme politics” by resigning as Taipei mayor to focus on his party. For example, William Lai (賴清德) resigned as premier in January to focus on the Democratic Progressive Party primary.
Ko’s timing in forming a party is also strange if he hopes to secure public support ahead of the Jan. 11 polls. A better strategy would have been to wait until after the elections, resign as mayor and form the new party then, which would have given him plenty of time to prepare for 2024.
Ko’s past popularity shows that he has the potential to be a third or even fourth force in the legislature. However, this will require sincerity, openness and a clear, unambiguous platform.
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