Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) held a news conference to celebrate his party’s success in surviving Saturday’s mass recall vote, shortly after the final results were confirmed. While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would have much preferred a different result, it was not a defeat for the DPP in the same sense that it was a victory for the KMT: Only KMT legislators were facing recalls.
That alone should have given Chu cause to reflect, acknowledge any fault, or perhaps even consider apologizing to his party and the nation. However, based on his speech, Chu showed no intention of doing any of these. Instead, he called on President William Lai (賴清德) to apologize and reflect on his own culpability in the campaign, despite Lai supporting it from a distance rather than initiating it. During his speech, Chu said that voters in the recall districts had chosen “stability” and wanted the government to “do its job properly.”
Stability is indeed a desirable quality in politics. It would have been interesting for Chu to address the legislative chaos that he has overseen as leader of the opposition since February of last year. After all, it was this chaos and controversy that sparked the unprecedented recall drive. Voters cannot count on stability being his mantra going forward.
We would also have liked to hear more from Chu about how the government was supposed to “do its job properly” when his party has consistently held back the central government’s budget, redirecting funds to KMT-led local governments and blocking nearly every initiative the Lai administration has attempted to pass.
An apology would have been warranted for the chaos he has been responsible for.
Chu thanked the voters in Saturday’s recall vote for how they had shown their wisdom and demonstrated the maturity of Taiwan’s democracy, uniting to “protect democracy and safeguard Taiwan.”
He seems to have disregarded the opinions of tens of thousands of voters who voted “yes” to the recalls. Perhaps he considers them unwise or believes they were complicit in failing to protect democracy or safeguard Taiwan by voting against KMT legislators. It is easier to blame political rivals and ignore the anger that has fueled the electorate’s discontent.
He should apologize to the voters whose opinions he willfully disregards.
The man who is notorious for championing unity in the run-up to elections appears to have misunderstood the concept. He is not advocating for unity within the country; he is calling for a united front against those who disagree with him.
Chu also thanked the thousands of volunteers and party workers who campaigned for the “no” vote. However, there was no mention of those among them who are now under investigation or in detention for irregularities and alleged illegal actions, such as collecting signatures in Chu’s ill-fated recall drives against DPP legislators.
That is another apology he has yet to make.
Chu has failed to acknowledge that while the recalls in blue-leaning districts fell short at the final hurdle, the recall motions in green-leaning districts never even got off the ground. Despite his calls for unity, his actions are only deepening political divisions, compounded by his refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the concerns that fueled them. Not only has there been no apology, but there has also been no indication that he even recognizes one is necessary.
KMT sources announced on Saturday that Chu would reveal today the format and timetable for the KMT chairmanship election. This could be an opportunity for him to pass the party baton, potentially to Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕).
It would be best for Chu to step down, but do not expect an apology for the way he has handled himself.
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