The recall election of former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) was the first time a mayor of a special municipality was recalled.
It is a step forward on the procedural side of Taiwanese democracy, but instead of celebrating his removal, the public should think about the effect of the confrontational recall process on democracy’s development.
It is plain to see how democracy and populism have since 1996 become intertwined in Taiwanese democracy.
Although academics have not agreed on a definition of “populism,” the patterns of political participation in Taiwan illustrate its characteristics.
If pluralism is a necessary condition for democracy, then the characteristic features of populism should also be examined.
Princeton University professor of politics Jan-Werner Muller has outlined populism’s characteristics: Populism simplistically uses the word “us” to represent “everybody,” while all those who think differently are deemed “others,” implying exclusivity.
The word “populism,” which sounds as if it means “putting the public in charge,” can indeed produce strong public resonance. As democracy develops, it is sure to give rise to populism, the only difference being between good and bad populism.
Looking back at the campaign to recall Han and the vote, as well as his campaign leading up to the presidential election in January, Han used grassroots language to strike a chord with certain sections of the public, creating a kind of “Han-style populism.”
Of course, Han’s followers includes people who lean toward China economically and identify with it in varying degrees.
It is easy to overlook the people at the bottom of society who have a tough existence. They might not necessarily support Han as an individual, but they might be seeking a glimmer of hope that they can change their lives for the better.
This group has been constantly attacked and referred to in exclusionary terms, such as “brainwashed,” “Han fans” and “pro-unification,” while this neglected demographic is the one that people on the left should be concerned with.
Yet they are selectively ignored and have no chance to talk about the whys and wherefores of their existence.
It is often said that if people are not “blue,” they must be “green,” and vice versa — forcing people to declare their affiliation for one camp or the other.
Can this really be called “democracy”? Have so-called progressives also been turned into populists? This is something that the public should reflect on following Han’s removal.
Maybe the only way to reduce the bad tendencies of confrontational political participation is for people to avoid a political standpoint and to stick to their own ideas.
Standing up for individual ideals might set in motion the progress that should come in a democracy accompanied by participation in forums and exchanges, rather than the kind of “progress” that is limited to the mechanical functions of democracy.
Huang Tzu-yang is a graphic designer.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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