The Constitutional Court’s temporary injunction said that 12 sections of the recently passed legislature reform laws, backed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), were urgent threats to governance.
Following the court’s decision, the KMT caucus said that “judicial independence has died.” Many TPP supporters also echoed similar sentiments.
Yet, for many who have followed the situation closely, the court’s decision should not have been surprising considering the drastic expansion of the Legislature Yuan’s powers charted out by the reforms, which undermine the balance of power between the branches of government.
There has also been significant public pushback against the reforms, culminating in the “Bluebird movement,” with demonstrations across Taiwan.
Largely failing to address the constitutionality of the reforms, the KMT and the TPP have chosen the low road, ie, when in doubt, blame the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
A conspiracy that the Constitutional Court is working on behalf of the DPP is a quick way to refute any concern by appealing to populist sentiments. Using such baseless theories can lead to a descent into populist madness, eroding common ground in civic debates. Unfortunately, even TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is irresponsibly spreading such views. Conspiracies increasingly define the TPP’s raison d’etre, painting a grim picture for the young party’s future. The spread of disinformation really only benefits China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s democracy.
Moreover, the TPP is not only willing to brazenly use disinformation for short-term political gain, but also has a robust network of online influencers, some of whom are legislators, to quickly promote its message.
One such influencer is TPP legislative caucus convener Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌). Huang is a sophist who often undermines the legitimacy of court orders. After failing to defend Article 25, which prohibits officials from “reverse questioning,” in the courts, Huang challenged the Constitutional Court Justice to a one-on-one debate — an absurd act of defiance and desperation.
Under the TPP’s logic, influencers will rule the Earth. And when they eventually do, we might no longer have any semblance of a responsible government, but we will get endless political entertainment in return: hours upon hours of political entertainment, ESPN-esque highlights and snarky political slogans on T-shirts — a fair trade for TPP supporters.
Moreover, following Ann Kao’s (高虹安) sentencing for corruption, the TPP continues to mount a vapid defense of the once-promising political star. Shifting the blame and the goalposts are tactics that the TPP uses when rulings are not in its favor.
Prosecutors said that Kao, who was suspended as Hsinchu mayor over the sentence, instructed her assistants when she was a legislator to overstate their overtime and give the extra cash to her. Kao used her position to exploit her employees. She was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.
Yet, the TPP blames her former assistant Huang Hui-wen (黃惠玟) instead of apologizing for Kao’s actions. There is little empathy from the TPP for those who she exploited. This is a case of victim blaming and underscores how little the TPP cares for workers.
The TPP should be honest to the public and own up to its mistakes.
Spare the public of the self-aggrandizing “heroics” of Huang Kuo-chang, the self-victimization of Kao, and the disinformation narratives of Ko.
Linus Chiou is a graduate student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
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