Taiwan’s call for change
In a landslide victory, KMT won the legislative elections in Taiwan. The victory overwhelmed even the most optimistic or pessimistic of political pundits, depending if you are green or blue. The KMT along with the pan-blue minority parties controls 75% of the seats in the legislature. In fact, three fourths majority is enough to make constitutional amendments to the R.O.C. constitution. With such a strong mandate from the people, it is clear that the people in Taiwan wants a change from the past eight years.
In the past eight years, the DPP has been involved in numerous corruption scandals, and preoccupied with symbolic battles. It is clear that the Taiwanese people are tired of the symbolic battles, and want a party that is instead preoccupied with the country’s economy. In the past, Taiwan was at the top of the east asian tigers, now it is close to being at the bottom. Reversing the slide is indeed going to be a very tough task. With a looming global recession coming, the direct flights to mainland china will not be the panacea that everyone thinks it will be. Direct flights must be coupled with incentives for Taiwanese businessmen to return back to Taiwan to setup their headquarters to gain the maximum benefits.
Going forward there is much to do in health care reform, agricultural reform , and education reform. Taiwan’s universal health care system is going into bankruptcy. Just last week the government had to inject 800 million NT to keep it afloat. Agriculture reform is absolutely necessary in the wake of WTO, and from the onslaught of competing farm products from mainland. The education system needs fundamental reform by limiting the number of four year universities, improving secondary education, and most importantly improving adult education for the unemployed.
The problems with the economy and domesitic policies coupled with global recession will be a daunting task indeed for this new legislature. But the most fundamental issue facing Taiwan today is the relationship between ROC and the PRC. In order for the KMT to make any progress of this nagging issue, it must win the Presidency. The legislature really has no power in determining the foreign policy of the country. This is why it is so important for the KMT to win the Presidential elections. According to the ROC constitution, which is similar to the French dual-executive system, domestic policies are carried out by the Prime Minister, and the President only controls foreign policy, and the military.
More than any other issue, the DPP wants control over the policy of cross strait relations. They understand that this is the most important and fundamental issue facing Taiwan. This is why both Hsieh and A-Bian have said in their campaign speeches that the economy is important but not everything is about money. DPP’s candidate Hsieh has even made suggestions that he is willing to allow the appointment of any Prime Minister that the KMT wishes as long as he has control over the military and foreign policy. Aircow believes it is a smart move, KMT’s weakness is in its foreign policy. Its one-china policy is actually against the majority opinion of the people in Taiwan. DPP continues to use that to its advantage, fomenting distrust in the people on KMT’s ability in creating a foreign policy that is in line with the majority opinion. However, with that said Aircow also thinks that most people understand that to achieve a two-china, or a one china-one taiwan outcome, ROC must first accept the one-china policy to create dialogue with the mainland. Basically the idea is that there will only be two-chinas if we first agree to one-china. The problem is that the public in Taiwan is unsure if the KMT’s eventual goal is a two-china policy or not. The KMT must do more to alleviate the mistrust that local taiwanese have with KMT and its foreign policy if Ma wants to win in 2008.
