Electoral politics in Taiwan: Who’s copying whom?
Yep, the 2008 legislative and presidential elections and their accompanying referenda are fast approaching, and both the Pan-Blue and Pan-Green sides have been adjusting their tactics to win at the polls.
Much has been said about the KMT adjusting its policies to be in step with DPP ideology, such as how Taiwan is already independent from Mainland; that Taiwan would only reunify with the Mainland with the democratic, willing consent of the Taiwanese people; and that Taiwan should be included in the UN and other international bodies. But the DPP has been an imitator, too. The DPP, or at least Frank Hsieh, wants to open direct transport and mail links with the Mainland, ease anachronistic trade restrictions across the strait, and Hsieh even reacted favorably to Hu Jintao’s “peace overture” even though President Chen Shui-bian has called Hu’s overture a “treaty of surrender.” The lines between the KMT and DPP are fast blurring all in an attempt to survive the brutal electoral process — will the voters know who to vote for anymore?
Of course, there’s also the problem of if the politicians will actually do as they promise. Will Hsieh actually open up Taiwan’s economy and transport links to the Mainland and resume dialogue with the Communists, or is it all a ploy that he will retract if he is elected? Will the KMT’s Ma Ying-jeou honor his adaptations to approving increasing democratization of Taiwan and uphold “ROC = Taiwan” sovereignty in the face of PRC threats, or is that too a ploy? I certainly hope that whomever is elected (I personally favor Ma, but, who knows what the outcome will be) will maintain his campaign promises and not just have them be empty words. Only time will tell.
